rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
COLUMBIA — Seven years after A’ja Wilson last played for South Carolina women’s basketball in Colonial Life Arena, her college arena will look a little different inside.
South Carolina is retiring Wilson’s No. 22 jersey before the No. 2 Gamecocks (20-1, 8-0 SEC) play Auburn on Sunday (noon, SEC Network).
Fans who attend games in Wilson’s hometown of Columbia have walked by a statue of Wilson outside CLA since 2021 and now will look up to see her jersey hanging in the rafters.
The ceremony will take place before the game.
When did A’ja Wilson play at South Carolina?
Wilson played for coach Dawn Staley at South Carolina from 2014-18.
In 2015, she led South Carolina to its first SEC Tournament championship and in 2017 guided the Gamecocks to their first NCAA championship. She was the first player in conference history to win SEC Player of the Year three times and the first college player to to go undefeated in four years of playing in the SEC Tournament.
Wilson was also the program’s first four-time All-American and National Player of the Year in 2018. She was named Naismith College Player of the Year (2017-18) and won the John R. Wooden Award the same year.
She is the school’s all-time leader in career points with 2,389 and is No. 1 in free throws made in a career (597) and No. 1 in blocked shots in a career (363).
She holds a total of 22 program records.
Where did A’ja Wilson go to high school?
Wilson went to Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, South Carolina. She was South Carolina’s first No. 1 recruit.
She was named a McDonald’s All-American and National High School Player of the Year (WBCA, Naismith, Parade) at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season.
She averaged 34.4 points per game during her senior year and scored 37 points to win the South Carolina Independent Schools Association AAA state championship in 2014.
When was A’ja Wilson picked in WNBA draft?
Wilson was the first overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft. She was selected by the Las Vegas Aces.
She was South Carolina’s first No. 1 WNBA draft pick. Aliyah Boston became the second No. 1 draft pick from the program in 2022.
A’ja Wilson with Las Vegas Aces for WNBA career
Wilson has spent her entire career in Las Vegas with the Aces, and in 2024, she completed her seventh professional season.
She is a three-time WNBA MVP (2024, 2022, 2020) and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. She’s a four-time WNBA All-Star and won Rookie of the Year in 2018.
In 2024, Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 points in a single season and set the single-season rebound record.
With the Aces, she won back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023, and was named the WNBA finals MVP in 2023.
Wilson is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning most recently in Paris with Team USA in August.
Does A’ja Wilson have a Nike shoe?
In May 2024, it was announced Wilson will have a signature shoe that is set to release sometime this spring.
REQUIRED READING: How Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson’s openness inspires others outside of basketball
South Carolina’s requirements for having a jersey retired
According to South Carolina, retired jerseys are selected by a committee of representatives from the South Carolina Athletics Department, University Board of Trustees and the USC Lettermen’s Association.
The news release from October said that “Factors for jersey retirement include postseason, national and conference recognitions, school record holders, impact on team accomplishments and either graduating from South Carolina or leaving the school in good academic standing. There is a five-year waiting period, which begins at the conclusion of the student-athlete’s final season of collegiate competition.”
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: A’ja Wilson jersey retirement at South Carolina: What to know
