“I’ll be attending the University of South Carolina,” spoke A’ja Wilson on the microphone 10 years ago. The 18-year-old talent was sitting beside her parents, Eva and Roscoe, inside the Heathwood Hall gymnasium when she made the announcement. At the time, Wilson was the only top-100 prospect who was left to commit to a collegiate program before the NCAA regular season set off that year. The Columbia native chose to play for the program close to home among the four finalists on her list, i.e. UConn, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

For four years, Wilson led the Gamecocks to 4x NCAA tournament appearances that included 4x Sweet 16, 3x Elite Eight, 2x Final Four, and the program’s first-ever national championship title in 2017. Garnering an array of honors and titles, the standout athlete concluded her college basketball career in 2018 as the all-time scoring leader for South Carolina. Three years later, the school dedicated Wilson a bronze statue in front of the Gamecocks’ home court, Colonial Life Arena on January 18, i.e. Martin Luther King Day.

A’ja Wilson’s bronze statue, a tribute to her impeccable contribution to South Carolina

Standing tall at 11 feet over a 4-foot granite base is a tribute by the South Carolina Athletics to the Hopkins, S. C. native who led the program to its first-ever national championship title and other titles in her 4-year journey. Simply put, it is a celebration of A’ja Wilson’s legendary college basketball career.

She gave more than she achieved and that has been the reflection of her time at the campus, as head coach Dawn Staley put it, “A’ja was a powerful force in our program, our campus, and our community through everything that she accomplished on the court and the person she was off it. This statue in front of this arena is an equally powerful force.”

In her freshman season, Wilson played in 37 games and led the SEC in four single-game freshman records and three single-season freshman records. Hence, she became a clear choice for the SEC Freshman of the Year Award.

As a sophomore, she led the Gamecocks to the SEC’s regular season and conference tournament championship. With this, she won her first Player of the Year award in the SEC conference and was voted a consensus All-American as well.

Her junior season brought good fortune for the Gamecocks as Wilson led the team to a regular season and SEC conference tournament as well. With a pivotal win over Mississippi State in the NCAA WBB DI championship game, she won several honors, including the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Her senior season is said to be her best in college, statistically. She put out an average of 22.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and a steal per game. Except for her freshman season, Wilson led the SEC in blocks for three straight years with the highest average of 3.2 blocks as a senior. Amassing 2,389 through four years, Wilson concluded her collegiate career as the program’s all-time leading scorer.

So, when and how did the idea of dedicating a statue to the Gamecocks sensation come around?

The makings of a lifetime honor

Set on a path to greatness, A’ja Wilson had already given her South Carolina coaches a glimpse of how big she was going to become with her scoring and athleticism. Leading the program to newfound heights birthed the idea of having a statue installed for the program’s most dominant player.

But Wilson was still in disbelief when the school president mentioned it at the time of her graduation. “I was just like, OK, whatever, this is just a joke,” said the 28-year-old. But little did she know, the mold for the statue was getting ready with Dawn Staley too making the required donations.

“When I saw coach (Dawn) Staley making the donations, I’m like, ‘Oh, this is really coming to life, like this is about to be real.’ And to finally see it out there and to cut the ribbon, I still can’t believe it,” Wilson shared her reaction when faced with the reality.

Then rode along several private donations from the late Dodie Anderson, Darius Rucker, etc. The Fine Art Studio’s Julie Rotblatt-Amrany gave the sculpture its shape. The studio has previously sculpted athletic statues such as those of Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, and most recently, Dwyane Wade.

Wilson’s statue took about a year to develop and its installation began 4 days before it was unveiled, i.e. January 14, 2021, with the ceremony on January 18 in her hometown.

The back-to-back World Champion is one of the three statues on the University of South Carolina campus, representing her as a special individual. She became the first woman of the group, joining Richard T. Greener, who was the first African American faculty member at the University, and the Heisman Trophy winner George Rodgers.

“A’ja Wilson’s accomplishments, on and off the basketball court, make this statue so deserving. She is an outstanding representative of Gamecock Athletics and our university. I am delighted that we can celebrate her in this manner,” said Ray Tanner, the University’s AD at the time.

From being regarded as the worst player in the AAU as a kid to grinding her way up into being a champion in the WNBA, A’ja Wilson built herself as the best player at every single level she played at. She certainly deserved the statue and all the honors for the same.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger