South Carolina will honor A’ja Wilson, a four-time All-American, three-time SEC Player of the Year, and three-time WNBA MVP, by retiring her jersey in a pregame ceremony on Sunday, February 2, prior to the Gamecocks’ matchup against Auburn at Colonial Life Arena.
As the program’s first No. 1 recruit, she became its inaugural No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft and achieved several significant milestones, both individually and for the team.
Wilson, the first four-time All-American and National Player of the Year (2018) for the program, led South Carolina to historic victories, including its first SEC Tournament championship in 2015, its first NCAA Final Four that same year, and its first NCAA National Championship in 2017.
She is the only player in SEC history to earn Player of the Year honors three times and to remain undefeated in four SEC Tournaments. During her four years, the Gamecocks secured three SEC regular-season titles.
As South Carolina’s all-time leading scorer with 2,389 points, Wilson holds 22 program records. She ranks 22nd in NCAA history for her 122 career games with double-digit scoring, achieving this feat in all but 16 of her contests.
Throughout her career, Wilson was named a First-Team All-SEC selection by both league coaches and media each year, receiving two SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards in addition to her three Player of the Year titles.
She was a finalist for National Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017, ultimately winning the award in 2018, and was also the program’s first Honda Cup finalist.
Following her legendary high school and college careers in Columbia, University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides announced during Wilson’s graduation ceremony in 2018 that a statue would be erected to celebrate her impact on the program and her community.
This promise was fulfilled in January 2021 with the unveiling of an 11-foot bronze statue—one of only three on campus representing an individual and the first female figure—located at the main entrance of Colonial Life Arena.
The process for retiring jerseys involves a committee from the South Carolina Athletics Department, the University Board of Trustees, and the USC Lettermen’s Association.
Criteria for retirement include national and conference accolades, school record achievements, contributions to team success, and either graduating from the university or maintaining good academic standing. A five-year waiting period begins after a student-athlete’s final season of competition.
