Off late, the Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson has been frequently seen donning a white T-shirt before the Las Vegas Aces games. “Right now, where I am, I don’t feel like I deserve to put on clothes…Right now, my main focus is just getting wins,” Wilson had stated as per Callie Lawsone-Freeman of the Las Vegas Review-Journal when asked about the reason behind dressing down. But before the Aces took the court against the New York Liberty on Sunday, Wilson was seen donning a different colored T-shirt for a change.

Wilson has been ruled out of the game against the Liberty due to an ankle injury, which she sustained during a game against the Connecticut Sun on Friday. Nonetheless, A’ja Wilson decided to show up to support her team during their matchup against the Liberty on Sunday, paying tribute to her former coach Dawn Staley.

The 2x WNBA Champion was seen in a grey T-shirt with Staley’s image printed on it. Along with it, she had worn a black skirt that went aptly with her dress. Not many would have noticed, but she also had a foot bandage supporter for her right leg, which means that she is taking her time to recover from the injury. Her snaps were tweeted by a fan account on Sunday.

Wilson with this T-shirt looks like paying tribute to Staley who she regards as the second mother. When the 28-year-old was as young as 13 years old, she met Staley, that’s if she could rely on her memory. She had signed up with a basketball camp at the insistence of her dad. From that time onwards, the future 2x WNBA MVP started receiving constructive criticism from Staley and also encouragement at good times. So when Wilson had to select a college, she committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks which even now is under the mentorship of Staley. And the rest is history.

From her freshman year onwards, A’ja Wilson was a formidable star. Though she started in just one game during her first year, Wilson scored an exceptional 13.1 points with 6.6 rebounds per game. Therefore, she soon transformed into a vital defensive and exemplary offensive athlete. Staley groomed her throughout her four years in college, in one of which, the Columbia-born took the Gamecocks to the NCAA Championship title in 2017. And now when Wilson is in the biggest league, it is only fitting that she pays Staley back in her ways and departs from her tradition.

A’ja Wilson breaks her white T-shirt tradition after an injury

Wilson had started wearing a white T-shirt, which was quite contrary to how she expressed herself in her dressing sense, since the game against the Minnesota Lynx in August. The Aces, on their way to a three-peat, were not performing up to the expectations. Hence, as per Callie Lawsone-Freeman of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Wilson decided to concentrate on the games instead of focusing on her outfits.

The Aces going for the three-peat don’t look to be the indomitable team they have proved themselves to be in the past two seasons. As of now, the Aces have a 22-12 stat and occupy the fourth place in the WNBA rankings. Hence, this must have motivated Wilson to concentrate more on her game and wear a plain white T-shirt. But her tradition ended once Wilson suffered an ankle injury.

During the game against the Connecticut Sun on Friday, Wilson injured herself when there were only 5 seconds left for the game to end. The 2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year grabbed an offensive rebound when Brionna Jones fell on her foot in an attempt to get the ball in her hands. Wilson, in the aftermath, was seen limping but she returned to the court to take 2 free throws, ultimately sealing the deal for her team by a 72-67 tally.

But now that Wilson is seen with a leg brace, fans would be hoping that she gets fit as soon as possible. Perhaps, at this time, Staley might be guiding her to take the best steps both literally and metaphorically.