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 four-time All-American and the 2018 unanimous national player of the year, Wilson helped lead the Gamecocks to their first national title in 2017, its first Women's Final Four in 2015, four SEC tournaments and three SEC regular season titles.
"It's a privilege to be a Gamecock, to be a part of this community," she said. "Thank you all for believing in me and for making this moment possible."
Wilson became the first player in league history to win SEC Player of the Year three times.
Individually, she is the program's all-time leader with 2,389 points and 363 blocks.
"What she means to our program is legendary," Staley said Sunday. "You think of legendary as what they do on the court, but the magic of A'ja is all the other stuff. It's OK to come to a local college, university, and take on the pressures. It's a pressure thing because you are doing it in front of all of the people that know you. You only want to do well in front of them.
"... Because of A'ja, we continue to get the top talent. And our fans, they create an experience that if you don't come here, you feel like you're missing out."
South Carolina requires a five-year waiting period before an athlete gets their jersey retired, which begins at the conclusion of their final year at the school.
Staley asked if they could shorten that time frame for Wilson. While the answer was no, the university did build a statue of her in 2021 -- a plan they announced when Wilson graduated in 2018.
"It was almost a prelude to today," Staley said. "If we couldn't retire her jersey, what better way than to put a statue out in front."
When Wilson's statue was unveiled, it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so fans weren't allowed to attend. There was no ceremony, and Wilson spoke with reporters over Zoom.
But for her jersey retirement, there was a sellout crowd. The players wore black warmup shirts with the No. 22 on the back. Wilson danced around the court after the ceremony, posing for photos with fans and the current Gamecocks team.
"I think there was more build up to this moment because she could share it with the people who have cheered for her, who have impacted her, who she has impacted, in a place in which she made an electric place to play," Staley said.
"I'm happy we are able to give her her flowers at such a young age where she'll be able to smell them for a very long time."
The No. 1 overall pick in 2018, Wilson has won two WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces and three league MVP awards -- her most recent was unanimous. She also won her second gold medal last summer at the Paris Olympics with Team USA.
A native of Hopkins, South Carolina, just outside of Columbia, Wilson was the Gamecocks' first No. 1 recruit.
Since her time at South Carolina, the Gamecocks' women's basketball program has gone on to win two more NCAA titles (2022, 2024), won 43 consecutive games (ended in Nov. 2024) and became the 10th team in Division I history to complete an undefeated season in 2023-24.
"I never would have imagined this," Wilson said. "I just came here wanting to win, wanting to be a sponge of it all. So to see the legacy, the longevity of this program and where it's going, I beam."