Coach Kim Mulkey doesn’t like the term “spark plug.” She never has, at least not since it was used to describe her early during her playing career at Louisiana Tech.

So the fifth-year LSU women’s basketball coach is reluctant to assign the label to MiLaysia Fulwiley , as she explained Tuesday after the No. 5 Tigers (1-0) began their 2025-26 season. The term certainly suits the 5-foot-10 junior — a transfer guard from South Carolina who plays with speed, aggression and energy — but Mulkey doesn’t think it conveys a sense of her full capabilities.

“OK, I'm a spark plug,” Mulkey said, “but when am I gonna be the engine?

“And so I'm very careful about how I use that with MiLaysia because her skill level and her talent is better than just a spark plug, and it's our job as she goes into

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