"I'm so lucky" - A'ja Wilson celebrates Las Vegas Aces rookie teammate's jersey retirement at Virginia Tech with touching message
A'ja Wilson is fresh off another fantastic year with the Las Vegas Aces. She finished the 2024 WNBA season with her third MVP award in five seasons. However, someone was missing from the Aces' 2024 season who could've helped them tremendously.
Center Elizabeth Kitley, the Aces' second-round draft choice in the 2024 WNBA draft, missed the entire season rehabbing a torn ACL and has yet to suit up for the Aces in a W game.
Kitley was a phenomenal college basketball player at Virginia Tech. She was honored this past weekend by having her jersey retired by the Hokies Women's Basketball team.
Teammate A'ja Wilson took note of the jersey retirement and had this to say on the event on Sunday:
"Remembering watching you at VT and saying 'damn she's kinda got a nice fade,' to now being my teammate I'm so lucky!! Congrats on 33 in the rafters Kit!" Wilson posted to her Instagram account @aja22wilson.
Hopefully, Kitley and Wilson will be able to share the court this upcoming season for the first time as teammates of the Las Vegas Aces.
A'ja Wilson is set to have her jersey retired by the University of South Carolina on Feb. 2
A'ja Wilson had the best year of her WNBA career in 2024. She averaged a career-high in points (26.9), assists (2.3), rebounds (11.9), steals (1.8) and blocks (2.6), all while being unanimously awarded the 2024 WNBA MVP.
However, the accolades and honors have not stopped for Wilson, as she is scheduled to have her jersey retired by the University of South Carolina Gamecocks Women's Basketball program when they take on the Auburn Tigers at Colonial Life Arena:
Wilson had quite a career in South Carolina, being the first Gamecock to win the AP Player of the Year award as well as the Wooden Award. Wilson also helped guide the Gamecocks to their first-ever women's college basketball national championship in 2017 in her junior year.
She already has a statue of herself at the arena, so it is fitting that her number is memorialized inside the arena, with the number 22 going into the rafters for eternity.