A’ja Wilson is a Gamecock for life. Always has been, always will be. As the face of South Carolina’s first national championship squad, she didn’t just bring home the trophy, she built a legacy. So naturally, she bleeds garnet. And when the Gamecocks hit the Final Four again this year, you’d think she’d be all in on watching her alma mater go to war. Well, she kinda was… but also made things awkward for Gamecocks fans a day earlier.

Before USC’s big matchup, the Final Four, Wilson was playing host at her pop-up event in Vegas to launch her pink Nike signature shoe—the A’One. And in walked the Texas women’s basketball team. Yes. The very same Longhorns that South Carolina would be facing off against. Shay Holle and the rest of Texas’ squad thought they were just getting a cute video message from the Aces star.

Wilson congratulated them on reaching the Final Four and even threw in a “good luck” for their game against… her own Gamecocks. But just when they were about to process that, her voice filled the room and she came strolling out from the back like a mic drop. The 2024 MVP took her time chatting with the team, gifting each of them a pair of the A’One. 

When Texas showed up at A’ja Wilson’s Las Vegas pop-up event, it wasn’t just a casual visit—it was a flex. And interestingly, the Longhorns are hooping in her shoes against South Carolina, seemed to revel in the irony of sporting the signature kicks of a Gamecock legend against her own team. Wilson played along, gracious as ever, gifting them the shoes and offering a polite “good luck.” But her true feelings? They surfaced the moment she laid eyes on Dawn Staley’s garnet Gucci tracksuit.

The WNBA star still had her eyes set on her alma mater. Because the moment she saw Dawn Staley’s fit for the game, she lost it (in the best way). And didn’t we all? Coach chose a classy yet comfortable Gucci two-piece tracksuit in the favorite color of every Gamecocks faithful, Garnet, for the big game.

WNBA star’s verdict was just three words dropped on Instagram Threads, “Garnet Gucci tracksuit!!! 😮‍💨” So, forget the Texas shoes (actually, her shoes), there’s no distractions, no divided loyalties. We can see that her eyes will always find Coach Dawn first. And yes, this one hit Wilson and Staley different. Tampa holds a whole lot of history for them and for South Carolina.

It’s where it all really began. Back in 2015, the Gamecocks made their first-ever Final Four appearance here—just a year after A’ja committed to Staley’s program. She came in as a freshman surrounded by vets like Aleighsa Welch, Khadijah Sessions, Tiffany Mitchell, and Asia Dozier. And not to forget Alaina Coates—her frontcourt partner-in-crime. The twin towers, for real.

With that kind of squad around her, the then-18-year-old didn’t have to carry the weight from day one. She had the space to grow, to figure things out, and polish her game at her own pace. But in her first Final Four game, she didn’t exactly ease in. She dropped 20 points, grabbed nine boards, and swatted away four shots. Total monster stat line. It was the first real glimpse of the great she was about to become.

And it also lit the fuse that turned South Carolina into the powerhouse we know today. Now, almost a decade later, Staley’s back in the same city, with Wilson, Aliyah Boston and other former players in courtside, chasing that fourth NCAA title. And her squad did it again.

Walking A’ja Wilson’s road, Gamecocks are going back

The defending champs are doin’ it again! It was a battle of SEC  bigs with Gamecocks defending their title while Longhorns trying to go to a place they haven’t been to since 1986. But it eventually ended with South Carolina heading right back to the natty after a dominant 74-57 win over Texas in the Final Four.

That’s back-to-back title game appearances and, oh a shot at a fourth natty in five years.  And sure, they didn’t come out swinging—Texas had the early edge—but that didn’t faze the Gamecocks one bit. They regrouped, locked in, and flipped the switch. By the time the second half rolled around, they outscored Texas 36-22 and never looked back. 

Freshman Joyce Edwards was absolute menace in the paint. You know, Edwards came into her freshman year with all the hype—South Carolina’s most talked-about recruit since Wilson. And it’s not just the buzz. The parallels were kinda wild. Both are South Carolina stars who chose to stay home. Both play the same position. Both came off the bench as freshmen. And both played the Final Four in Tampa.

Joyce Edwards’ expected impact against Texas isn’t just a breakout—it’s a throwback. Watching her dominate the paint, you could almost see A’ja Wilson’s shadow from that 2015 Tampa Final Four, where she announced herself with 20 points and four blocks.

A’ja averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 boards, 1.0 assist, and 1.8 blocks. Joyce is pulling 12.7 points, 4.8 boards, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 steals. The numbers are almost a mirror. And just like South Carolina once hoped A’ja would rise to the moment, they hoped the same of Joyce. And she did. She hadn’t cracked more than six points since March 21, and then she just goes off for 13. Six of those came in her first seven minutes off the bench.

The, we saw Te-Hina Paopao coming up huge with a team-high 14, knocking down clutch threes while Texas star Madison Booker got into foul trouble and had to watch a chunk of the game from the bench. 

So that’s three wins over Texas this season for South Carolina. Dawn Staley is 8-0 in the postseason against Vic Schaefer. And up next, they will face he winner of UCLA vs UConn. Whoever it is… the champs are waiting. And they ain’t letting go of that crown easy.