Jersey retired. Statue unveiled. And now, inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame. A’ja Wilson is one of the greatest players to ever represent the Gamecocks.
She elevated the women’s basketball program into new territory. Before she arrived, South Carolina women’s basketball had never recorded a 30-win season. With her? They achieved three. After she left? They added five more.
Before she became a Gamecock, the program hadn’t 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.
Before Wilson, there were no Final Four trips. With her, South Carolina reached two — including their first national championship, fueled by her (19.2) points, (8.8) rebounds, and (2.7) blocks per game on that historic run. Since her career ended, the Gamecocks have made five more Final Fours and collected two additional national titles.
Wilson became the program’s first-ever Naismith National Player of the Year, and later inspired stars like Aliyah Boston to follow in her footsteps and win the same award. 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.
So when you think of South Carolina women’s basketball, you think of A’ja Wilson. She had offers from UConn, Baylor, and Tennessee, yet chose home and chose to build something monumental in Columbia. She helped create a powerhouse that continues to thrive because of the foundation she set. ✨