“She’s A’One.” Dawn Staley never backs down from supporting her 2017 National Championship winner A’ja Wilson. Neither does the 2x WNBA champion stay silent to give her former NCAA head coach a shout-out. While we have seen several moments of these basketball icons praising each other now, how was their relationship at the University of South Carolina? And was the Las Vegas Aces forward as red-hot in college as she is now?

Let us find out everything from the stats to the achievements of Columbia, South Carolina’s finest basketball player so far! It will not come as a surprise that A’ja Wilson is the most decorated athlete in any sport in the history of U of SC. Over her 4 years as a Gamecock, the 6-ft-4 forward amassed 86 school records and 37 national recognitions. Certainly, she has numbers that stand behind her plethora of accomplishments with Dawn Staley.

A’ja Wilson’s numbers in the book

The No. 1 recruit in the nation by ESPNW in 2014, A’ja Wilson joined the University of South Carolina to create her basketball future. In her very first season as a Gamecock, the Columbia native showed her potential by becoming the second-best scorer of the team with 13.1 points on 53.8% shooting and also grabbed 6.6 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game. She played all 37 games in her freshman year and led the team with 1.8 blocks/game. However, that would be the only year when she would not have the name of a top player on the Gamecocks roster.

They went 34-3 on the SEC record but lost in the Sweet Sixteen round to North Carolina. Next year, she played 27 minutes on average in 33 games. She led the team in three categories. These were 16.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks. While her accuracy did not change much, she was taking more shots.

In her junior year, A’ja Wilson and Co. had a 33-4 record and finally got the better of Mississippi State in the Championship game. They won 67-55 with Wilson leading the crew with 23 points and 10 rebounds. This was also South Carolina’s and Dawn Staley’s very first NCAA title. Then, she was putting up 17.9 points from a career-high 58.8% field goal accuracy. She was also ahead in the rebounds (7.8) and blocks (2.6) averages.

As a senior, A’ja Wilson put up her career-best numbers on the board for Dawn Staley. She averaged 22.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Wilson also blocked 3.2 shots per game. Their 29-7 run that once again took them to the National Championship game was not enough to get the better of Geno Auriemma’s Huskies. While UConn destroyed her last year as a Gamecock, the No. 22 went on to be the first overall pick for the San Antonio Stars in the 2018 WNBA draft. Still, she did have a lot to show for her legacy in Columbia.

A’ja Wilson bringing the gold to her account

While Wilson has gone on to win almost everything there is, she built this habit from a young age. Before all the WNBA MVPs and FIBA World Cup MVP awards, she was winning in college as well. In her very first season, Wilson brought in multiple accolades.

• All-America Third Team (AP)
• All-America Honorable Mention (WBCA)
• SEC Freshman of the Year (Coaches, AP)
• All-SEC First Team (Coaches, AP)
• SEC All-Freshman Team
• USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Dec. 1-7)
• 5x SEC Freshman of the Week

After that, she compiled even more honors to give her numbers a physical presence.

• 2× USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (2015, 2022)
• FIBA Women’s World Cup MVP (2022)
• NCAA champion (2017)
• NCAA Tournament MOP (2017)
• AP Player of the Year (2018)
• Honda Sports Award (2018)
• Naismith College Player of the Year (2018)
• John R. Wooden Award (2018)
• Wade Trophy (2018)
• USBWA National Player of the Year (2018)
• Lisa Leslie Award (2018)
• 3x All-American – USBWA, WBCA Coaches’ (2016–2018)
• 3x First-team All-American – AP (2016–2018)
• Third-team All-American – AP (2015)
• 3× SEC Player of the Year (2016–2018)
• 2× SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2016, 2018)
• 2x SEC Tournament MVP (2017, 2018)
• 4× First-team All-SEC (2015–2018)
• 3x SEC All-Defensive Team (2016–2018)

Surprisingly, Breanna Stewart, whose UConn gave A’ja Wilson an L in the 2018 championship game, has recently joined her fellow Olympian to etch their names in history for putting up consecutive 20+ points in opening games at the Olympics. Teresa Edwards was the only player to do so before them. Talking of records, here are the ones that the first overall pick of the 2018 WNBA draft broke for the program.

Briefing into various NCAA records

A’ja Wilson holds the first position for most points scored (2,389), shots blocked (363), and free throws made (597) for a Gamecock. Moreover, she is second in most 20-point games with 47 in four years. Her double-doubles also bring her to the second rank with 54 games. Apart from the Gamecocks, Wilson was also dazzling her way through the SEC. She holds the first spot with 1020 points, 23 games with 20+ points, and 158 blocked shots.

Certainly, she also has the records for NCAA tournament games. From South Carolina, she has the most points in a career with 306, rebounds (153), blocks (43), and steals (22). Additionally, she was also just as great in academics as she was on the floor. Graduating from U of SC in Mass Communication, she swept away the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll twice in her four years.

More than any award, it is her grit, leadership, and friendliness that everyone remembers A’ja Wilson for. Right now, she is not only the table topper of the Las Vegas Aces but is showing her capabilities in the Paris Olympics as well. After all, she is an all-around athlete.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.