"Gamecocks need to switch to Nike ASAP": College hoops fans react to Dawn Staley rocking first pairs of A'ja Wilson's Nike sneakers

On Tuesday, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley shared a picture of her rocking former Gamecock A'ja Wilson's new Nike sneakers, the A'Ones, which are set to be released this spring.

"Let us all “A” for the A’ONEs! @aja22wilson," Staley captioned the IG post.

Fans were quick to flood the comments with their thoughts about Wilson's collaboration with Nike and Staley's shoe game.

"The D in Dawn stands for Drippin🔥," a fan said

"Let me say it Gamecocks need to switch to Nike ASAP," another wrote.

"Nobody seeing Dawn when it comes to shoes. She makes sure we know and never forget. Every single time.😂," one said.

Fans share their thoughts on Dawn Staley wearing A'ja Wilson's new shoe collaboration with Nike (IG/staley05)

Others expressed their thoughts about the shoes using only emojis, including Sole Retriever, an account that posts information about sneakers, internet personality Brittney Elena and former NBA player and Knuckleheads podcast host Quentin Richardson.

IG users react to Dawn Staley's post with emojis (IG/staley05)

One fan focused on Staley's continued support of her former South Carolina players.

"Love how you support your former athletes through life ... You're a role model for us all Dawn!"

One fan shows appreciation for Staley's continued support of her former athletes (IG/staley05)

A'ja Wilson's shoe deal

The A'Ones that Staley shared on her social media are Wilson's signature shoe, which comes following her contract extension with Nike.

In December, ESPN reported that the Las Vegas Aces star and Nike had agreed to a six-year contract extension in one of the highest-paying shoe deals for a women's basketball player.

The A'Ones, however, had been a work in progress even before the contract extension was announced. Wilson announced the signature shoe in May last year.

"It's been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection, and it really is an honor to take this next step and become a Nike signature athlete," Wilson said in a statement. "From my logo to the look of the shoe and the pieces throughout the collection, we've worked to make sure every detail is perfectly tuned to my game and style."

Dawn Staley and A'ja Wilson's bond

Wilson spent the entirety of her college career with the Gamecocks and helped guide the team to a 2017 national championship, its first of three in the last decade.

In the WNBA, the center won back-to-back championships with the Las Vegas Aces (2022 and 2023). She was named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and added another MVP title in 2024.

Staley helped catapult Wilson to greatness, and the two have remained close. Wilson can often be seen attending South Carolina women's basketball games and she and her former coach like to engage in banter on social media.