Aces star to get number retired by alma mater

A’ja Wilson’s alma mater is retiring her jersey, bookending a historic year for the Aces star forward.

The 28-year-old will be honored by South Carolina in a pregame ceremony at Colonial Life Arena on Feb. 2, the school announced Tuesday.

The date of the announcement (Oct. 22) and the ceremony (2/2) are a nod to Wilson’s No. 22, which she wore in college and continues to wear for the Aces.

South Carolina released a video Tuesday featuring Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley telling Wilson the news. The call took place the same week Wilson won her third WNBA MVP award Sept. 22, the Aces said.

“You’re going to win MVP, you’re going to be in the first team (All) WNBA. Around these parts in South Carolina, you’re always going to get No. 1 votes,” Staley said. “So when you coming to see us? We need a date. We need a date because your jersey is going to be retired.”

It wasn’t the first emotional call between Wilson and Staley this season. Staley also informed Wilson she won the WNBA’s Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award in August.

The jersey retirement is the latest in a long list of accolades for Wilson this season.

She led Team USA to a gold medal during the WNBA’s Olympic break in July. When she returned to the Aces, she set league records for points and rebounds in a season.

Her prolific campaign began at Colonial Life Arena. The Aces played their sole preseason game there following the announcement that Wilson has a Nike signature shoe on the way.

Wilson already has an 11-foot bronze statue outside Colonial Life Arena. The statue was erected in 2021 to commemorate her incredible collegiate career.

She helped the Gamecocks win their first national championship in 2017 and remains the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,389 points.

Wilson, the first No. 1 recruit in South Carolina’s history, went on to become the first player in program history to be selected first overall in the 2018 WNBA draft.

The Columbia, South Carolina, native still holds 22 program records. Her 122 career games with at least 10 points also ranks 22nd in NCAA history.

Wilson, in a funny twist, picked No. 22 as a young player because she felt she wasn’t good enough to wear No. 23, which has been worn by Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

No South Carolina player has worn the number since she graduated in 2018. It likely would have been retired sooner, but there’s a five-year waiting period for retired jerseys at South Carolina.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X