South Carolina retired A’ja Wilson’s No. 22 jersey ahead of its SEC matchup with Auburn on Sunday afternoon. While Wilson has had an 11-foot bronze statue outside of Colonial Life Arena since 2021, fans will now also be able to see her jersey hanging in the rafters for every Gamecock home game.
“This is huge. This is a big, big moment. I’m super blessed to be able to say that my jersey is hanging in the rafters in my home — not a lot of people can say that,” Wilson said. “To be able to have everyone come out and enjoy the moment, and that I can share the moment with everyone, it’s going to be truly, truly special.”
Ahead of the game, South Carolina also debuted two court decals with Wilson’s signature and an outline of the number 22.
A’lways and forever pic.twitter.com/QtRtAvguI4
— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) February 2, 2025
Wilson was a transformative player for South Carolina. The South Carolina native committed to the Gamecocks as the No. 1 overall recruit in 2014. Coach Dawn Staley had just completed her sixth season at the helm of the Gamecock program and though it was clear she was pushing the program to levels never seen by South Carolina women’s basketball — the team reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2012 and 2014 — it had…
