A'ja Wilson reps South Carolina coach Dawn Staley's Sting jersey at the Hornets vs. Miami Heat game

It's been almost six years since A'ja Wilson graduated from the South Carolina Gamecocks, but her love for coach Dawn Staley still remains. At Saturday's Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets game, Wilson repped Staley's Charlotte Sting jersey.

"MVP always showing love 👏 The Sting played ten seasons in the WNBA (1997-2006)," the caption read.

After four years at Virginia, Dawn Staley graduated from college in 1992. However, the absence of a professional women's league meant that she had to spend a few seasons abroad playing in France, Italy, Brazil and more.

With the formation of the WNBA in 1997, Dawn Staley was selected as the No. 9 overall pick by the Charlotte Sting in the 1999 WNBA draft. She spent six years playing with the team.

During this time, Staley also began her coaching career as she took over the Temple Owls program in 2000.

She was balancing both careers at the same time before leaving the WNBA in 2006.

Two years later, Dawn Staley moved to South Carolina and led the team to championships in 2017, 2022 and 2024. A'ja Wilson was a part of the 2017 NCAA championship-winning roster. A year later, she was picked No. 1 by the Las Vegas Aces.

South Carolina will honor A'ja Wilson with a jersey retirement ceremony

Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, A'ja Wilson was the most important Gamecock of the Dawn Staley Dynasty.

After her championship-winning season as a junior, Wilson swept all major National Player of the Year awards in her senior year. She averaged 22.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game.

For her exploits with the team, A'ja Wilson's No. 22 jersey will be retired into the rafters on Feb. 2, 2025.

Dawn Staley announced the news to A'ja Wilson on video call last week and the video was shared on X with the caption:

"Time for us to give @_ajawilson22 her 💐. See you on 2'2."

This is not the first time South Carolina is honoring Wilson. In 2021, the school installed her 11-foot bronze statue outside the Colonial Life Arena, Gamecocks' home court.

It was unveiled on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the center spoke of the significance at the ceremony.

“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” Wilson said. “But you want to be a part of something that plants seeds so later on down the road, little Black girls can come back here and look at that statue and say, ‘Wow, she was her. But at the same time she was in her community as well.’"

During Wilson's jersey retirement ceremony, the Gamecocks will be hosting the Auburn Tigers.