Women’s hoops analysts talk about “second mom” Dawn Staley’s precious bond with A’ja Wilson: “It is so much deeper than anything on the court”

Las Vegas Aces stalwart A'ja Wilson just had her No. 22 South Carolina Gamecocks jersey retired on Sunday before her alma mater, coached by Dawn Staley, beat the Auburn Tigers 83-66.

During the ceremony, it was apparent that Wilson and Staley still hold the same bond that they've had for years now. The player-coach tandem won the national championship in 2017, and Staley has seen one of her best products grow and mature into the WNBA All-Star she has become today.

Women's basketball analyst Zora Stephenson detailed the kind of bond Wilson and Staley have on the "Got Next with Meghan & Zora" podcast uploaded by NBC Sports on Youtube.

"I love how much she nods to her family and her second mom, Dawn, and her favorite out-of-town Olympian. Well-deserved moments," Stephenson said on Wilson's speech (Timestamp: 22:15). "The bond between her and Dawn, you want to talk about the role of a coach. It is so much deeper than anything on the court.

"When A'ja talks about Dawn, and the other way when Dawn talks about A'ja, it's not, like, all the records; it's the bond that they have as Dawn has helped her through life. I think that's really special, and it speaks to Coach Staley and everything she stands for. ... It's really cool to see because that's what a coach is all about."

As Wilson prepares for another WNBA campaign later this 2025, there's no doubt that she still seeks advice from her collegiate mentor despite no longer sharing the court together.

Meghan McKeown details the impact that A'ja Wilson has on women's basketball as a whole

A'ja Wilson, one of the South Carolina Gamecocks' most prized alumnae, even paid a visit to their SEC rivals' locker room, the Auburn Tigers, before the game against her alma mater on Sunday. For Meghan McKeown, instances like these just speak about the kind of impact the 28-year-old sensation has on the women's game overall, not just her college program.

"The impact she has, she went into North Carolina's locker room earlier this season, went into Auburn's locker room as well and just said, 'Love my SEC girls.' It's special to see the kind of person that A'ja Wilson is just from afar and how she embraces who she is," McKeown said (Timestamp: 22:35).

Up next for Dawn Staley and the current Gamecocks, they visit the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday.