Oct 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) celebrates with teammates after game four of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

A’Ja Wilson: South Carolina Gamecocks Welcome Home A Champion

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Levi Omeke | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 7:58 PM ET

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson got inducted into the South Carolina Gamecocks Hall of Fame last night. She had a statue and her jersey retired inside Colonial Life Arena.

I’m just grateful to be a Hall of Famer now,” Wilson stated. She also thanked her parents as she gave her speech.

The Foundation Of A Dynasty

Wilson elevated the women’s basketball program into new territory. South Carolina women’s basketball had never recorded a 30-win season.

Building on that milestone, before Wilson became a Gamecock, the program had not won an SEC Tournament championship since joining the league in 1991. During her four seasons, they won four straight — and since then, five more have followed.

Wilson’s individual accolades were equally impressive. She became the program’s first-ever Naismith National Player of the Year. She left campus as the all-time leader in points and blocks and remains the only player in SEC history to win Player of the Year three times.

Wilson chose to build something monumental in Columbia. She helped create a powerhouse that continues to thrive because of the foundation she set.

End Of My A’Ja Wilson Rant

Oct 23, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas forward Aja Wilson (22) holds the WNBA Championship trophy during the Las Vegas Aces championship parade on the Las Vegas Strip. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Wilson went from being a college student-athlete who won the first national championship for her school in 2017 to becoming a three-time WNBA champion with a shoe line. That is goat level status.

Wilson is the standard for the WNBA. The former Gamecock superstar has cemented her place as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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