Dawn Staley leaves A'ja Wilson awestruck by revealing a South Carolina surprise: “We need a date”
Before tearing through the WNBA, A'ja Wilson established herself as one of the best players to have represented the South Carolina Gamecocks. She thrived under coach Dawn Staley, and the pair continued to share a special bond long after she went to the Las Vegas Aces in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
Earlier today, Staley and Wilson had a video call, which the Gamecocks shared on their official Instagram profile. The coach said she believed the 6-foot-4 center would win the WNBA MVP award before revealing a special surprise to her former protege.
"I got something to tell you," said Staley. "You're gonna win MVP, you're gonna be on the First Team, All-WNBA, right? Around these parts of South Carolina, you're always going to get #1 votes.
"So, when you coming to see us? We need a date. We need a date because, your jersey is gonna be retired! It's that time."
Wilson reacted, "Everybody wants me to cry today! No way!"
To which Staley replied, "Stop all that crying. Get yourself together. It's time. We're happy for you!"
With this, A'ja Wilson becomes the fifth player in program history to have her jersey retired. The retirement of her #22 jersey comes a year after the Gamecocks retired the #25 jersey of talented shooting guard Tiffany Mitchell, who became the Connecticut Sun's first-round pick in the 2016 WNBA draft. Wilson's jersey will be retired in a ceremony on February 2, 2025.
A'ja Wilson left a lasting legacy at South Carolina
In four seasons at Columbia, A'ja Wilson became the most decorated player in Gamecocks history. She was instrumental in their national championship victory in 2016-17 and set several program records during her college basketball career.
In her senior season, she was unanimously named the National Player of the Year. She also swept the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, and Wade Trophy while earning unanimous First-Team All-American honors.
Wilson finished her career with the Gamecocks as the program's leader in career points (2,389) and career blocks (363), among other categories. In the 2018 WNBA draft, she became the first top overall pick in program history and the sixth in SEC history as the Aces made the most of their pick.
Wilson continued her trailblazing habits in the WNBA, leading the Aces to consecutive WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. She was also named the WNBA MVP in 2020 and 2022 and is the favorite to win the honor for the third time this year.