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A'ja Wilson reacted to the South Carolina Gamecocks' close 66-63 loss to the No. 2 Auburn Tigers on Saturday. The reigning WNBA MVP shared an Instagram story responding to a retired WNBA athlete who graduated from Auburn, Chantel Tremitiere.
Tremitiere first shared the story celebrating her alma mater's win over Wilson's with a short caption.
"I won't say anything but..." she first posted.
The Las Vegas Aces star added another story to reply to the former Indiana Fever player, clarifying that their bets are only about women's basketball teams.
"🥱🥱🥱 bets are only wbb talk to me 2/2," Wilson responded.
The 2/2 part of Wilson's message refers to the date the Gamecocks and Tigers' women's teams will clash this season. Their first and only duel this season will take place on Feb. 2 at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks boast a 15-1 record this season while the Tigers have won nine of 16 games.
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The Gamecocks' dominance over the Tigers has been clear in the last two seasons. They won the two duels in the 2022-23 season and the one they played in 2023-24.
The men's game saw Auburn's star Johni Broome, an AP preseason All-American, suffer a "significant sprain" on his left ankle. After the game, coach Bruce Pearl said Broome would undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.
A'ja Wilson to be honored by USC
The Auburn game will be special for Wilson, not only for the personal duel against Tremitiere but also for the plans her alma mater put together for her. On Oct. 22, the Gamecocks announced they would retire Wilson's jersey in a pregame ceremony before the Auburn game starts.
Wilson left the program holding 22 records, including the all-time scoring with 2,389 points.
She led the program to win its first SEC Tournament championship (2015), first NCAA Final Four (2015) and first NCAA National Championship (2017). More than that, she became the first player in history to win SEC Player of the Year three times.
Her relationship with the people running the program remains the same. Coach Dawn Staley and Wilson have remained close over the years. Staley pumped up Wilson every step of the way, even when the center won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
That day will be special for A'ja Wilson, but it can have a bigger meaning if her former team emerges victorious.
