A'ja Wilson’s father spills beans on emotions over 2017 NCAA championship moment that left him exhilarated

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson had her jersey retired by the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday. Ahead of the ceremony, her father, Roscoe Wilson, reflected on her 2017 national championship win with the Gamecocks in an interview with Andscape.

Roscoe Wilson recalled the emotion he felt as he watched his daughter lead South Carolina to its first NCAA women's basketball title in 2017. The Gamecocks defeated Mississippi State 67-55, led by A'ja Wilson's 23 points and 10 rebounds.

"Watching my daughter, that was exhilaration. I was just glad to see her happy cos she didn't want to lose that game. That was a great time, I mean we were just screaming and jumping around. ... something that your daughter has dreamed about you know. She worked toward and she did exactly what she was supposed to do." (6:00).

A'ja Wilson played for South Carolina from 2014 to 2018 and left a lasting impact on the program. During her time there, she was named the consensus National Player of the Year in 2018 and became the first three-time SEC Player of the Year in conference history.

The retirement of her jersey served as a testament to Wilson's lasting impact on the South Carolina program. Her success continued at the professional level, as the Las Vegas Aces selected her with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 WNBA draft.

Wilson's first MVP award came in 2020, followed by back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. She earned Finals MVP honors in 2023 and, on July 7, 2024, against the Dallas Wings, became the Aces' all-time leading scorer in franchise history.

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A'ja Wilson gives a sneak peek at rumored Nike signature shoe announcement

A’ja Wilson had a Sunday to remember. After her No. 22 jersey was retired by the Gamecocks, she posted a video on X that appeared to show her unveiling her signature Nike shoe for the first time.

The video captured her emotional reaction to the shoe, though it was not visible on camera. The post was captioned:

"one time for the sneak 👟😏,"

The video ended with a screen flashing with the message “check back tomorrow," which gave indication that the shoe might be officially unveiled on Feb. 4. Although an official release date has not been announced, fans are eagerly anticipating its arrival.