Media
Olympic gold and MVP recognition in Paris
Olympics coverage documents Wilson’s standout presence during Team USA’s gold-medal run in Paris.
A'ja Wilson
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Professional Basketball Player
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Essentials
- Full name
- A'ja Wilson
- Years active
- 2018–present
- Position
- Center
- Jersey number
- 22
- Nationality
- American
- Hometown
- Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
- College
- South Carolina (2014–2018)
- Agent
- —
a'ja's story
A'ja Wilson grew up in Hopkins, South Carolina, four blocks from the Governor's Mansion, in a state that her grandmother couldn't fully navigate as a child. During segregation, her grandmother was not allowed to walk on the grounds of the University of South Carolina. When Wilson's bronze statue was unveiled outside Colonial Life Arena on Martin Luther King Day 2021, she stood at the podium in tears and said exactly that. It is the most South Carolina story imaginable, and it is also one of the most American ones.
She didn't even like basketball at first. Didn't want to sweat. Was considered the worst player in her AAU program as a kid. Then something clicked, and she became one of the most dominant players the women's game has ever produced. She was the number one recruit in the country, stayed home to play for Dawn Staley at South Carolina, won the national championship as a junior, and swept every national Player of the Year award as a senior. The Las Vegas Aces took her first overall in the 2018 WNBA draft and have never looked back. Four MVPs. Three championships. Two Olympic gold medals. The first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a single season. The first to win MVP, Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and the scoring title in the same season. Her coach Becky Hammon said it best: "There is no Mount Rushmore. You are Everest."
Off the court she has launched a candle company, written a book called Dear Black Girls, established a foundation focused on bullying prevention and dyslexia awareness, and become one of the most important voices in women's sports. She is 29 years old and already in the conversation for the greatest of all time.
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Awards/Honors
Individual Awards
2017NCAA Champion, NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, SEC Player of the Year
2018Naismith College Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, Lisa Leslie Award
2018NCAA Champion- University of South Carolina, NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
2018WNBA No. 1 Overall Draft Pick, WNBA Rookie of the Year, WNBA All-Star, All-WNBA First Team
2020Olympic Gold Medal, WNBA MVP,
2022WNBA Champion, WNBA MVP, WNBA Defensive POY
2024Olympic Gold Medal
2024WNBA Champion, WNBA MVP, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Finals MVP, All-WNBA First Team
2025WNBA Champion
Legacy
2021South Carolina Jersey No. 22 Retired
2024Became the first player in WNBA history to record a 1,000-point season
2025Statue unveiled at the University of South Carolina
Media
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