Dawn Staley Shares Powerful Statement to A’ja Wilson Amid Major Development
Before A’ja Wilson emerged as a singular superstar for the Las Vegas Aces, she was molded into an all-around force by head coach Dawn Staley at the University of South Carolina.
“From Gamecock legend to WNBA icon, A’ja Wilson just made history again — and Coach Dawn Staley had the perfect words for the moment. Tap in to see her powerful message and what it means for women’s basketball!”
It was a match made in heaven: Wilson is a native of Columbia, South Carolina, where the university and its powerhouse women’s basketball program are located. Over four years with the Gamecocks, Wilson won three successive SEC Player of the Year awards, and she was a national champion in 2017, when she also was named the NCAA Tournament’s best player.
Wilson is commemorating her upcoming eighth season in the WNBA with her first Nike signature shoe, the A’One. The sneaker’s “Pink Aura” edition was released Tuesday and sold out quickly on Nike’s website, while a “Pearl White” colorway is expected to be released on May 15.
Wilson’s newest achievement away from the court has warranted special praise from Staley. As South Carolina’s longtime coach visited the Nike shop in Las Vegas, she was moved to send a statement to her former star pupil that salutes this latest milestone.
“I pulled up at the Nike store in Las Vegas to see your movement and it is stunning,” Staley wrote to Wilson on X. “So proud of you and the impact you keep having on US US US!!”
Wilson is arguably the best player in the WNBA in an era where more eyes and ears are on women’s basketball than ever before. The 28-year-old center owns career averages of 21.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks across 227 regular-season games. She is a three-time MVP, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time WNBA champion with the Aces.
After Las Vegas added elite scorer Jewell Loyd in an offseason trade, Wilson and the Aces will enter the 2025 season expecting to compete for another title — which would add yet another layer to Wilson’s substantial impact on basketball.
