After playing for the Team Curry AAU team and attending Curry Camp, Fulwiley will now wear Curry Brand sneakers throughout the remainder of her collegiate career.
Just ahead of undefeated overall No. 1 seed South Carolina’s entry into the upcoming NCAA Tournament, the school’s flashy freshman scoring guard, MiLaysia Fulwiley, has landed a multiyear NIL shoe deal with Curry Brand. She will headline upcoming footwear launches from Curry Brand, be featured in campaigns as a brand ambassador, and create her own player-exclusive colorways of future models with the brand’s team of designers.
“Welcoming MiLaysia Fulwiley to the Curry Brand team is something I am super excited about,” Stephen Curry told Boardroom. “She is such a unique talent and an unbelievable ambassador for the game of basketball, obviously with strong Carolina ties … We are thrilled to welcome her into the family.”
Fulwiley grew up in Columbia, with dreams of one day playing for the nearby University of South Carolina, also located in her hometown. While in high school, she played for Team Curry, the AAU team launched by the Warriors star in his hometown of Charlotte, just two hours north.
“I decided to join Curry Brand because it felt like family,” said Fulwiley. “I’ve also been watching Stephen Curry since I was young and coming up playing on Team Curry. I’ve always had a close connection to the brand.”
The deal marks a new chapter that’s been in motion for Curry Brand this season. After first launching in late 2020 within the Under Armour umbrella, Curry Brand signed Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox last fall as its first signature athlete, with his Fox 1 sneaker expected to launch this upcoming fall.
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Fulwiley now represents a Curry Brand on-court extension into the collegiate ranks, where she will be a featured ambassador playing for one of Under Armour’s flagship college basketball programs.
“It feels incredible to be picked to represent the Curry Brand,” said Fulwiley. “Knowing that I can be a role model for other young girls to come out here and do exactly what I did, is amazing.”
After dropping a career-high 24 points in defeating LSU to win the SEC Tournament last weekend, Fulwiley became the first freshman in South Carolina school history to be named SEC Tournament MVP. With her explosive scoring ability, creative finishes and moves in transition, it’s Fulwiley’s freelancing flash that’s allowed her to stand out early on.
“I think her style of play is changing the women’s game on the fly. It’s super unique and creative,” described Curry. “She’s got just a flow about her on the floor that I don’t think people have seen for a very long time.”
It wasn’t long ago that Curry was able to see that flash up close in person, as Fulwiley was the breakout star of his annual Curry Camp during the summer of 2022. With her transition pull-up threes, up-and-under layups and constant crossovers mixing defenders, Fulwiley had the gym buzzing in downtown San Francisco.
“She was a part of Curry Camp and is a Team Curry alumni, so the fact that there is a such a full circle moment of being a part of the Under Armour family from the jump is great,” said Curry. “Being able to be a part of the work we did out here in the Bay Area and the fact that she is playing at an Under Armour school now — there are just so many great tie-ins.”
All season long, Fulwiley has been rotating through a batch of Curry Brand sneakers, specifying a simple factor she prefers for her shoes.
“Bright! I like to stand out on the court,” she said. “I wear short sleeve compression shirts and compression pants. Socks going over my compression pants and some swaggy shoes.”
Curry quickly noticed her on-court look and style while tuning in.
“Just the way that she carries herself with a confidence, even as a freshman coming out, you can see that she’s about her business and she turns heads whenever she’s out there on the court,” he added.
In the near future, Fulwiley will be meeting with the Curry Brand design team to create her own player exclusive colorway of a Curry Brand sneaker, a reality that she’s already overwhelmed by.
“That is actually insane,” Fulwiley admits. “I used to do that on 2K, and so just being able to do that in real life and actually for me … it’s unexplainable, really. Just having that joy of knowing you get to create something just for you, after seeing it as a kid, it’s amazing and I can’t wait.”
With this year’s NCAA tournament set to begin this week, Fulwiley is already dreaming big for both this season and the rest of her collegiate career ahead, when asked where she sees herself in four years.
“Getting drafted first round, entering the WNBA Draft. 4-time NCAA Champion — I want to win a championship every year. And just getting better and going up,” she says proudly.
Along with future marketing campaign plans to highlight her exciting play while at South Carolina, Fulwiley and the Curry Brand team will also be looking to map out potential giveback opportunities together.
“I know she has a deep commitment to community impact and we are going to be doing a lot of work in her hometown,” outlined Curry. “The ability to continue to change the game for good, nobody can speak to that more than MiLaysia.”
For Fulwiley, the partnership won’t only put her in a different tier of players amongst the college ranks, as she is one of just a dozen female basketball players now boasting a NIL shoe deal, and the only signed directly to Curry Brand.
She’s also looking forward to building out her personal relationship with the 4-time champion and hoops icon, as she continues on her own bright basketball path ahead.
“It’s incredible to be able to have Steph around as a mentor and someone I can call,” she smiled. “Not a lot of people have that opportunity, and I feel like through my hard work on and off the court, I’ve been able to put myself in this position. It means a lot to have him in my corner.”
“The ability to partner with her and Curry Brand is such a special opportunity,” closed Curry. “And I’m humbled that she is now a part of the family.”
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