A’ja Wilson Receives Ultimate Honor from Dawn Staley, South Carolina

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A’ja Wilson might not be even halfway through her professional playing days. But seven seasons into her WNBA career, the Las Vegas Aces superstar has already established herself as one of the greatest players of all-time.

The three-time MVP began charting that historic path at the University of South Carolina in 2014-15. Nearly a decade later, the Gamecocks will honor their native daughter with yet another memorial of her time in Columbia — where there’s already a statue of her outside Colonial Life Arena.

South Carolina announced on Tuesday that it will retire Wilson’s jersey during a Feb. 2 game against Auburn. Wilson first learned of the news in a phone call from Gamecocks coach and women’s basketball legend Dawn Staley.

South Carolina wasn’t the powerhouse it’s become in women’s college basketball until Wilson arrived on campus midway through Staley’s tenure on the sidelines.

The Gamecocks won their first SEC Tournament championship (2015), made it to their first Final Four (2015) and were crowned NCAA champions (2017) for the first time during Wilson’s four-year stay in Columbia. She took her talents to the next level in 2018, finishing her college career as the Gamecocks’ all-time leading scorer and the holder of 21 additional program records.

Aces superstar A’ja Wilson reacts during a playoff game against the Liberty.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to be named unanimous MVP this season, averaging 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. The Aces’ dreams of a third consecutive championship ended in a semifinal playoff loss to the rival and eventual-champion New York Liberty.

Staley and the top-ranked, defending-champion Gamecocks tip off the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4 against Michigan.