COLUMBIA, S.C. — Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson stood at center court of Colonial Life Arena on Sunday, her hand on her heart and her parents’ arms wrapped around her as they looked up to the rafters, where a lone spotlight shined on her collegiate No. 22 jersey being unveiled and officially retired by South Carolina.
Wilson gently shook as tears rolled down her face.
According to South Carolina athletic department policy, just because a jersey is retired doesn’t mean the number is. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley, however, made it clear: No one in a South Carolina uniform will ever wear No. 22 again.
“South Carolina shaped me, not just as an athlete but as a person,” Wilson said during the ceremony prior to the No. 2 Gamecocks’ 83-66 victory against Auburn. “As I look in the rafters and see my jersey, I am reminded how important it is to chase your dreams without fear.”
The résumé Wilson built during her four years at South Carolina is long and one Staley views as incomparable. The program’s first…
