A’ja Wilson’s No. 22 gets retired by South Carolina women’s basketball

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A’ja Wilson stood in tears as she watched her jersey ascend to the rafters of South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena.

The three-time WNBA MVP’s alma mater retired her No. 22 jersey ahead of the Gamecocks’ 83-66 rout of Auburn on Sunday.

Wilson, the first No. 1 recruit to go to South Carolina, went on to become the first player in program history to be selected first overall in the WNBA draft. She helped the Gamecocks win their first national championship in 2017 and remains the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,389 points.

The 28-year-old was met with a standing ovation when she approached the court, which was emblazoned with a scarlet decal of her number and signature near South Carolina’s bench.

The sellout announced crowd of 18,000 fans erupted into a standing ovation when Wilson approached the court. She was flanked by her parents, Roscoe and Eva Wilson, and legendary Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.

Staley’s voice boomed into the arena as a tribute video was played before the ceremony.

“Home is where your legacy began, and where your legend will live forever,” Staley said.

It was an ode to Wilson being born and raised in South Carolina. She opted to play in front of her hometown crowd for four years and called it the “greatest honor of life” in her speech.

But before she started talking, Wilson was interrupted by an outburst of “A’ja, we love you!” cutting through the silence from the upper levels.

“Thank you all so much for being here today,” Wilson said after thanking the loud fan. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude and joy to have my jersey retired at the University of South Carolina, the place where my dreams began. It’s an honor I can hardly put into words.”

South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards, who led her team with 18 points in Sunday’s win, said Wilson “created” the Gamecocks’ current prominence. Wilson was the unanimous national player of the year in 2018. She also led the Gamecocks to their first women’s Final Four in 2015, and graduated with four SEC tournament championships and three SEC regular-season titles at South Carolina.

“Columbia, South Carolina is my home, and it shaped me. Not just as an athlete, but as a person,” Wilson said. “As I look up in the rafters and see my jersey, I’m reminded how important it is to chase your dreams without fear.”

‘God’s Plan in God’s Time’

Amid all of Wilson’s accomplishments, her mother repeats the phrase, “God’s plan in God’s time.”

But Staley said she wished Wilson’s jersey retirement could have happened sooner. There was no doubt the honor would come, but South Carolina has a required five-year waiting period for retiring a players’ jersey. It’s why the Gamecocks erected an 11-foot bronze statue of Wilson outside of their arena in 2021.

And although the South Carolina athletic department’s policy says a jersey retirement doesn’t mean the number can no longer be worn, Staley emphasized no South Carolina basketball player will ever wear No. 22 again.

“It fills my heart to know that we can give her this type of ovation and recognition, because it’s not very often that our loved ones get what they deserve,” Staley said. “It’s only right that we return the love that she’s given to all of us here in the city of Columbia, the state of South Carolina. Nationally and internationally, everybody knows A’ja Wilson. And A’ja Wilson makes sure everybody knows where her roots are.”

Emotional weekend

Before Wilson sobbed as she looked up at her jersey, she said she made a vow she wouldn’t cry for the entirety of the weekend.

It was a busy one for Wilson. She spoke to the Gamecocks’ current basketball team Saturday. She later appeared at a question-and-answer event with Staley that evening before they both sat courtside to watch South Carolina’s men’s team face Texas A&M.

Wilson broke her oath not to shed tears by the question-and-answer session. A fan who helped orchestrate a tribute video for Wilson becoming the first WNBA player to score 1,000 points asked if there were other ways to support her.

“Showing up just goes a long way,” Wilson said, getting choked up.

The emotions kept flowing after Wilson’s speech Sunday. She sobbed into the arms of Aces teammate Jackie Young afterward, thanking her for coming to the ceremony.

Former South Carolina teammate and Atlanta Dream forward Allisha Gray was also in attendance, along with Aces coach Becky Hammon and team president Nikki Fargas.

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, who is dating Wilson, sat courtside with the group. He received a shout out in the speech from Wilson, who called him her “favorite Olympian from out of town.”

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