Dawn Staley’s Startling Choice: The True Reason She Selected Raven Johnson Over Milaysia Fulwiley You’ll be shocked by what the study finds.

When South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley made the decision to hand the keys to her offense to Raven Johnson rather than the electric freshman Milaysia Fulwiley, the move reverberated throughout the women’s college basketball world. Fulwiley had just etched her name into history with a viral highlight reel, set a world record in a speed drill, and earned praise from basketball royalty like Magic Johnson and Kevin Durant. Johnson, on the other hand, was seen as a steady, veteran floor general—not flashy, not viral, but trusted.

To the casual observer, Staley’s choice to prioritize Johnson as the Gamecocks’ lead guard seemed conservative—perhaps even surprising. Why wouldn’t a coach unleash the most exciting player in women’s basketball and build around her dynamic playmaking?

A groundbreaking internal study conducted by South Carolina’s analytics and coaching staff may finally explain Staley’s reasoning. And it goes far beyond highlight reels and points per game.

According to the data-driven analysis performed during South Carolina’s 2024-25 season, the decision to favor Raven Johnson stemmed from her elite impact on team efficiency, defensive accountability, and lineup synergy. The study tracked every possession involving both players, taking into account offensive and defensive ratings, turnover ratios, on-court communication metrics, and clutch performance indicators.

Key finding: South Carolina’s net rating with Johnson on the floor was +26.2, compared to +17.4 with Fulwiley. In tightly contested games—especially against ranked opponents—those numbers became even more stark.

It wasn’t that Fulwiley lacked talent. It was that Johnson amplified the strengths of everyone around her. The study’s most surprising stat? When Johnson, not Fulwiley, initiated plays, South Carolina’s assist-to-turnover ratio was 2.1 compared to 1.3.

For Staley, the choice came down to trust. While Fulwiley dazzled with behind-the-back passes and crossovers that drew gasps from the crowd, Johnson was quietly orchestrating offensive possessions that led to clean looks for Kamilla Cardoso in the post or open corner threes for Te-Hina Paopao.

“Sometimes the smartest decision is not the most exciting one,” Staley said in a closed-door session revealed by the study. “Raven makes us better from top to bottom. She’s our communicator, our conductor.”

Indeed, Johnson’s vocal leadership was measured in the study through what it called the “verbal assist index”—a combination of in-game audible calls, successful switches, and pre-shot reads communicated to teammates. Johnson ranked in the 99th percentile among all Division I point guards.

That level of verbal control, especially on defense, is a quality Staley, herself a former elite point guard, treasures.

To say Fulwiley was benched or minimized would be misleading. In fact, she finished the season averaging 13.7 points, 4.2 assists, and 1.9 steals, often playing in tandem with Johnson. But her minutes were strategically managed.

According to the study, Fulwiley’s efficiency soared when she entered games as a secondary creator rather than the primary ball-handler. Coming off the bench or working alongside Johnson, she could focus on scoring bursts, fast breaks, and zone-busting moves. She was the flamethrower—Staley just didn’t want to burn the house down by misusing her fire.

The coach’s decision, while controversial to some, was data-backed. Lineups featuring both Johnson and Fulwiley had the second-highest scoring margin of any combination Staley used all year, outpacing even the starting unit.

One component of the study focused on team dynamics—who do players listen to in the huddle? Who calms nerves in crunch time? Who owns mistakes and defuses tension?

Teammates reportedly gravitated to Johnson, not just because she had been there longer, but because her temperament mirrored Staley’s: poised, fearless, unshakable.

In one pivotal game against LSU, Fulwiley made three straight turnovers in the first half while trying to thread impossible passes. Johnson took her aside, calmed her down, and later deferred to her in transition during a crucial fourth-quarter run.

“Raven is our voice,” Kamilla Cardoso said. “She knows when to talk, when to listen, when to lead. That stuff doesn’t show up on Instagram, but it wins games.”

To her credit, Fulwiley embraced the challenge. Rather than sulk or question her usage, she channeled her energy into becoming more efficient. The study noted a 32% decrease in forced shots per 40 minutes between December and March and a 28% improvement in half-court decision-making, measured by successful read-and-react plays.

By the time South Carolina reached the NCAA Final Four, Fulwiley was operating within the offense with more maturity—still flashy, but measured.

In her best performance of the season, Fulwiley dropped 24 points and 5 assists in an Elite Eight win over UCLA, shooting 10-for-13 from the field. And who was setting her screens, rotating back on defense, and directing traffic from the wing? Raven Johnson.

It was the perfect encapsulation of Staley’s vision: Johnson as the backbone, Fulwiley as the blade.

In the postgame press conference following South Carolina’s national championship win, a reporter asked Staley directly: “Did you ever consider making Fulwiley the full-time starter at the one?”

Staley didn’t hesitate.

“She’s a star,” Staley said of Fulwiley. “But stars need structure. And Raven gives us that. She’s the reason we don’t fall apart when it gets hard.”

Then, more poignantly: “You don’t always win with the flashiest player. You win with the right one.”

Interestingly, the study’s release has caught the attention of WNBA evaluators. While Fulwiley is undoubtedly a future pro, Johnson’s stock is rising thanks to her leadership profile, court vision, and decision-making.

“She might be the next Chelsea Gray,” one anonymous WNBA scout told The Athletic. “Doesn’t need 20 points to dominate a game. She just needs the ball and a plan.”

Several scouts cited Johnson’s “floor general” metrics from the study, including a mind-blowing 0.7-second average read time on pick-and-roll options, as among the best they’ve seen in five years.

Staley’s handling of the Fulwiley-Johnson dynamic may become a blueprint for future coaches managing multiple elite guards. The study concludes with an appendix on team chemistry, noting that the decision wasn’t just tactical—it was relational.

By preserving Johnson’s leadership role and nurturing Fulwiley’s creativity within bounds, Staley created a culture that celebrated both discipline and flair. Neither player had to be sacrificed for the other to thrive.

It’s a masterclass in balance, and a stark reminder that sometimes the right decision is the one fans least expect.

When news of the internal study broke, social media lit up with reactions ranging from stunned admiration to stubborn disbelief. How could anyone justify not centering the offense around a generational talent like Fulwiley?

But basketball is not a highlight film. It’s a 40-minute war of possessions, personalities, and precision.

And in that arena, Staley chose the general over the gladiator. Not because Fulwiley wasn’t special, but because Johnson made everyone—including Fulwiley—better.