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by Jeroslyn JoVonn
January 16, 2026
A’Ja Wilson paid tribute to her father’s HBCU by gifting the Benedict College women’s basketball team each a pair of her signature A’One Nikes.
WNBA star A’Ja Wilson is celebrating her family’s HBCU legacy by giving her signature Nike A’One sneakers to every player on the Benedict College women’s basketball team.
Las Vegas Aces champ and 2025 TIME Athlete of the Year paid tribute to her dad’s legacy at Benedict College by gifting the women’s basketball team each a pair of her signature sneakers, HBCU Game Day reports. The squad showed love on social media on Jan. 12, thanking the WNBA star for the generous gift.
“The Benedict College Women’s Basketball team extends a heartfelt thank you to A’ja Wilson, multi-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, TIME Magazine’s 2025 Athlete of the Year, and WNBA All-Star, for blessing our program with her Nike A’One signature shoes,” the team wrote.
The Benedict College Women’s Basketball team extends a heartfelt thank you to A’ja Wilson, multi-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, TIME Magazine’s 2025 Athlete of the Year, and WNBA All-Star, for blessing our program with her Nike A’One signature shoes.
Your impact goes… pic.twitter.com/GQelJu66Gm
— Benedict College (@BenedictEDU) January 12, 2026
The gift honors Wilson’s father, Roscoe Wilson Jr., a standout Benedict College Tiger in the 1970s. A dominant big man in the SIAC and NAIA, he earned multiple all-conference and All-American honors, played at Rucker Park alongside legends like Julius Erving, had a pro career overseas, and later coached at Benedict and Morris College.
Wilson carried on her father’s basketball legacy while forging her own path. After a dominant high school career at Heathwood Hall Episcopal, she joined Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks and became one of college basketball’s most decorated players. In the WNBA, she rose to superstardom with the Las Vegas Aces, winning three championships (2022, 2023, 2025) and two Finals MVPs. A four-time league MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, Wilson has firmly cemented her status as a basketball superstar.
“Your impact goes far beyond the hardwood,” Benedict College wrote. “You continue to inspire the next generation of women who play with purpose, power, and pride. We’re honored to lace up greatness and carry the standard forward.”
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