5 Highlights of A'ja Wilson's Career
Love A'ja Wilson? Here are her career highlights.
A'ja Wilson accomplished a lot as a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks in college, including setting the SEC tournament's all-time scoring record for a single player. Wilson accomplished this during a semi-final victory in the game against Georgia.
She accomplished the feat one game sooner than former Gamecock Sheila Foster, who held the record for 36 years. Wilson had everything that a WNBA team was looking for at this point in her career.
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Source. WNBA[/caption]
A'ja Wilson has steamrolled her way to a slew of accolades throughout her career, and one noticeable example is the 2017 College basketball season. This is where the future Las Vegas Aces star and the South Carolina Gamecocks won their first national title on the hardwood, which set the tone for A'ja Wilson’s entire career.
South Carolina defeated Mississippi State 67-55 to win the title. Wilson contributed 23 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals in a career-defining moment. The team also went undefeated that season with a 38-0 record and the National title to finish the deal.
A'ja Wilson has accomplished so much in the WNBA that her other accomplishments sometimes get lost in the shuffle. However, one accolade that should never suffer this fate is that she has won back-to-back gold medals in the 2020 Toyko Games and 2024 Olympics. She played a significant role in helping Team USA extend their fight.
Looking back at her performance at the 2020 Toyko Olympics, she posted 16.5 points, 1.8 blocks, 7.3 rebounds, and shot .594% from the field. There were a lot of other players that anchored that team, but Wilson’s performance was jaw-dropping for a first-time Olympic player. That’s just how good she was. The Women’s team ultimately beat Japan 90-75 in a blowaway victory for the gold medal that year.
Fast forward to 2024, and A'ja Wilson didn’t miss a single step. She improved her numbers to 18.7 points, 2.7 blocks, 10.2 rebounds, and one steal per game. The only thing standing in Team USA’s way this time was France.
Wilson went wild in this game, going six of 14 for 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks. Team USA ultimately defeated France 67-66. Gabby Williams heaved in the final shot for the victory, but Wilson is the person who had the performance to be remembered.
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WNBA[/caption]
A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces winning their first championship in 2022 will always have a special place in history. The team earned their second straight championship the very next year.
Winning a second time proves that what A'ja Wilson and the Aces accomplished in 2022 wasn't a fluke. It was a warning to the rest of the league that this would now be the team to beat. This is also where Wilson was thriving with 22.8 points, 2.2 blocks, and 9.5 rebounds in 2023. Numbers that would become the envy of every other player in the league.
The team finished with the best record in the league that year for a second straight time and earned the top playoff berth. Of course, there are a lot of other players on this team. Women like Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Alysha Clark, and Chlesea Grey. The thing that separates Wilson from them, however, is her ability to lead. And boy, did she lead by example.
In September 2024, A’ja Wilson hit yet another milestone when she became the WNBA's first player to hit 1,000 points in a season. She'd already broken the single-season scoring record that same week.
“I don’t want to sound cliché when I say this but, I don’t get any of that without every single teammate along the way. I’m so grateful to be able to play with selfless women,” Wilson said. “My teammates are the heartbeat. They keep me going. I don’t get any points without them passing me the basketball.
“So the points are great. They’re always going to be there. I’m never going to stop shooting, but the group that we have in this locker room is something that I’m truly so happy to be around.”
#5 She was the all-time leading scorer in the SEC tournament
A'ja Wilson accomplished a lot as a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks in college, including setting the SEC tournament's all-time scoring record for a single player. Wilson accomplished this during a semi-final victory in the game against Georgia.
She accomplished the feat one game sooner than former Gamecock Sheila Foster, who held the record for 36 years. Wilson had everything that a WNBA team was looking for at this point in her career.
[caption id="attachment_60591" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. WNBA[/caption]#4 She helped the South Carolina Gamecocks to their first title
A'ja Wilson has steamrolled her way to a slew of accolades throughout her career, and one noticeable example is the 2017 College basketball season. This is where the future Las Vegas Aces star and the South Carolina Gamecocks won their first national title on the hardwood, which set the tone for A'ja Wilson’s entire career.
South Carolina defeated Mississippi State 67-55 to win the title. Wilson contributed 23 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals in a career-defining moment. The team also went undefeated that season with a 38-0 record and the National title to finish the deal.
#3 She's won two gold medals with Team USA
A'ja Wilson has accomplished so much in the WNBA that her other accomplishments sometimes get lost in the shuffle. However, one accolade that should never suffer this fate is that she has won back-to-back gold medals in the 2020 Toyko Games and 2024 Olympics. She played a significant role in helping Team USA extend their fight.
Looking back at her performance at the 2020 Toyko Olympics, she posted 16.5 points, 1.8 blocks, 7.3 rebounds, and shot .594% from the field. There were a lot of other players that anchored that team, but Wilson’s performance was jaw-dropping for a first-time Olympic player. That’s just how good she was. The Women’s team ultimately beat Japan 90-75 in a blowaway victory for the gold medal that year.
Fast forward to 2024, and A'ja Wilson didn’t miss a single step. She improved her numbers to 18.7 points, 2.7 blocks, 10.2 rebounds, and one steal per game. The only thing standing in Team USA’s way this time was France.
Wilson went wild in this game, going six of 14 for 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks. Team USA ultimately defeated France 67-66. Gabby Williams heaved in the final shot for the victory, but Wilson is the person who had the performance to be remembered.
[caption id="attachment_60590" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
WNBA[/caption]#2 She helped the Las Vegas Aces win back-to-back WNBA championships
A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces winning their first championship in 2022 will always have a special place in history. The team earned their second straight championship the very next year.
Winning a second time proves that what A'ja Wilson and the Aces accomplished in 2022 wasn't a fluke. It was a warning to the rest of the league that this would now be the team to beat. This is also where Wilson was thriving with 22.8 points, 2.2 blocks, and 9.5 rebounds in 2023. Numbers that would become the envy of every other player in the league.
The team finished with the best record in the league that year for a second straight time and earned the top playoff berth. Of course, there are a lot of other players on this team. Women like Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Alysha Clark, and Chlesea Grey. The thing that separates Wilson from them, however, is her ability to lead. And boy, did she lead by example.
#1 She's the first WNBA to reach 1,000 points in a season
In September 2024, A’ja Wilson hit yet another milestone when she became the WNBA's first player to hit 1,000 points in a season. She'd already broken the single-season scoring record that same week.
“I don’t want to sound cliché when I say this but, I don’t get any of that without every single teammate along the way. I’m so grateful to be able to play with selfless women,” Wilson said. “My teammates are the heartbeat. They keep me going. I don’t get any points without them passing me the basketball.
“So the points are great. They’re always going to be there. I’m never going to stop shooting, but the group that we have in this locker room is something that I’m truly so happy to be around.”