A'ja Wilson

Career Summary

• Most decorated athlete of any sport at South Carolina, including first national player of the year selection in women’s basketball after unanimously collecting the honor in 2017-18
• First three-time SEC Player of the Year in league history
• Program’s first four-time All-American, three-time First-Team All-American and four-time First-Team All-SEC selection
• Holds 86 school records, including 11 career marks, and has a total of 166 top-five entries
• No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Las Vegas Aces, the first top pick in program history and the eighth in SEC history
• Was team’s top scorer and second-leading rebounder in 2016-17 National Championship season

Senior Year (2017-18)

• Unanimous national player of the year and First-Team All-America selection
• Became three-time SEC Player of the Year, the first in league history, and was SEC Tournament MVP for second-straight season
• Finished season ranked seventh in the nation in scoring average, 11th in rebounding average and fifth in blocked shots average – the only player ranked among the nation’s top 35 in all three categories
• Selected to be a team captain for the second-straight season
• Team’s top scorer in 25 of her 33 games and top rebounder 30 times
• 23 20-point games among her 32 double-digit scoring outings this season
• Averaged a double-double (22.8 ppg, 12.0 rpg) in the NCAA Tournament
• After a week away from the basketball court, was cleared the day of the SEC Tournament opener and went on to average 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per game off the bench to claim Tournament MVP honors
• Scored eight of her 16 points in the SEC Tournament title game against #2/2 Mississippi State (Mar. 4) in the third quarter as the Bulldogs looked to mount a comeback from an 11-point deficit and went on to focus on rebounding in the fourth quarter, pulling in four of her game-high eight in the final 10 minutes to seal the victory
• Broke the Gamecocks’ all-time scoring record in the SEC Tournament semifinals against #19/18 Georgia (Mar. 3), hitting the mark in one less game than Sheila Foster who held the record for 36 years
• Burst into the SEC Tournament with 24 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in just 19 minutes against #12/12 Tennessee (Mar. 2)
• Turned in a legendary Senior Night performance with 27 points and 24 rebounds against #24/- LSU (Feb. 22), becoming the first Gamecock to record a 20/20 game since Jan. 5, 1981, and just the fourth Gamecock ever to hit those marks … the last such game against a nationally ranked opponent was March 10, 1978 … needed just 12:02 of game time to get a double-double
• Recorded her 1,000th career rebound against Arkansas (Jan. 25) to become just the 13th player in SEC history to amass 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds
• Netted her 2,000th career point against Auburn (Jan. 11), becoming just the third Gamecock all-time to hit the mark
• Posted a career-high 34 points against #6/6 Notre Dame (Nov. 26) for her third entry on the Gamecocks’ list of 30-point games against nationally ranked foes – the most of any other player on the 10-game list

Junior Year (2016-17)

• Unanimous All-America selection and finalist for the three primary national player of the year awards
• Repeated as SEC Player of the Year from the league’s coaches and the AP
• Named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and SEC Tournament MVP, leading team to both championships
• Selected as a team captain
• Ranks 14th in the nation in field goal percentage and 19th in blocks, ranking third and first in the SEC, respectively
• Among league top 10 in scoring (2nd) and rebounding (8th) … in conference play, was second in blocked shots (2.2) and ranked in the top 10 in scoring (4th, 18.2) and rebounding (7th, 8.5)
• Was the team’s top scorer 20 times in her 35 games, scoring in double figures 31 times on the season
• Led team with 19.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game the NCAA Tournament, shooting 59.4 percent from the field at the event to power team to program’s first national championship
• Averaged 21.3 points on 63.2 percent shooting (48-of-76) to go with 9.7 rebounds per game from Feb. 19 – March 5 to help secure Carolina’s fourth-straight SEC regular-season title and third-straight league tournament championship
• Balanced scoring in each half of the national title game against #7/7 Mississippi State (Apr. 2), dominating the second and fourth quarters en route to a team-high 23 points to close out her 11th double-double of the season
• Was the Gamecocks’ rebounding presence in the first half of the national semifinal against #6/6 Stanford (Mar. 31) and finished with a career-high tying 19 boards in the game, including eight in the third quarter as the Gamecocks erased a nine-point halftime deficit … scored five points of a 7-0 fourth-quarter run after the Cardinal closed within three
• Protected the rim down the stretch in the NCAA Elite Eight against #10/13 Florida State (Mar. 25) with two blocks over the final 26 seconds to deny a late Seminole rally … finished with four blocks and scored 16 points in just 21 minutes of action after dealing with foul trouble throughout the night
• Delivered the game-winning bucket in the NCAA Tournament second-round against Arizona State (Mar. 19) after following her own shot to put Carolina up 69-68 with 48 seconds to play … knocked in two free throws with 15 seconds left to stretch the lead to 71-68 and finish 7-of-7 from the charity stripe … posted a double-double that was highlighted by a game-high 21 points
• Capped off a dominant showing at the SEC Tournament with seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the fourth quarter to rally the Gamecocks in the title game against #6/7 Mississippi State (Mar. 5) … finished with 15 points and added four blocks, all coming in the second half
• Thrived in the paint against #22/- Kentucky (Feb. 26) to notch her second-straight double-double after finishing with team highs in points (25) and boards (10) … went 4-of-4 in the final period to deny a Kentucky comeback
• Set the tone early at Texas A&M (Feb. 23) that team would control the paint even without the injured Alaina Coates, posting a double-double (12 pts/10 rebs) in the opening 20 minutes … finished with a season-high 15 boards
• Active on the defensive end against Vanderbilt (Feb. 16) with a career-best five steals, four of which yielded points
• Paced Carolina’s offense early at #1/1 UConn (Feb. 13), reaching double figures less than 11 minutes into the game … protected the rim with three blocks to help hold Huskies to a season-low 66 points
• Had her way inside early against #4/4 Mississippi State (Jan. 23) with 16 first-half points on 7-of-8 shooting … in second half, knocked down a tough turnaround jumper to extend lead late before converting two free throws to again push the advantage to three with two seconds to play
• Dominant performance at #14/15 Texas (Dec. 1), delivering on both ends of the court with a career-high 31 points with nine in the fourth quarter, including two crucial putbacks that stifled any chance of a Longhorn comeback
• Posted 11 of her team-high 17 points against #4/4 Louisville (Nov. 27) in first half to help build eight-point halftime lead … also handed out career-best five assists

Sophomore Year (2015-16)

• Consensus All-America selection and finalist for the three national player of the year awards
• Second player in league history to earn SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season
• Ranked 12th in the nation in blocked shots (3.12) and 38th in field goal percentage (.531), leading the SEC in both categories
• Was also among SEC’s top five scorers (5th, 16.1 pgg) and rebounders (4th, 8.7 rpg) and ranked 10th in free throw percentage (.723)
• In SEC play, was second in scoring (16.3 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (8.5), leading the league in field goal percentage (.545) and blocked shots (3.3)
• Team’s top scorer 15 times – Ohio St., UNCG, vs. Arizona St., vs. CSUB, at Hawaii, Duke, at Ky., Texas A&M, Ole Miss, at Texas A&M, UConn, at Tenn., at Ala., at Ole Miss, vs. Miss. St.
• Team’s top rebounder 14 times – Ohio St., vs. Arizona St., vs. CSUB, at Hawaii, Duke, Elon, Ark., at Ky., at Miss. St., at Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, vs. Miss. St., Jacksonville
• Turned in a complete game in NCAA Sweet 16 against Syracuse (Mar. 25), contributing in assists, blocks and steals in addition to her double-double … posted nine of her 15 points and six of her 10 rebounds in the first half to help Gamecocks build double-digit lead
• Became the second player in program history to reach 1,000 career points as a sophomore during the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Kansas State (Mar. 20)
• Shot 11-of-12 from the free throw line and nearly averaged a double-double (15.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg) at the SEC Tournament
• Led team in points (19) and rebounds (13) in the championship of the SEC Tournament against #16/16 Mississippi State (Mar. 6), falling just short of a first-half double-double with nine points and 10 boards in the opening 20 minutes
• Helped South Carolina build an early double-digit advantage in the SEC Tournament semifinals (March 5) against #13/13 Kentucky with eight first-quarter points … finished the contest 8-of-12 from the field
• Posted team’s best perfect shooting night of the season (8-8) at Ole Miss (Feb. 25), netting eight points in game-changing 16-3 run to close the second quarter
• Provided the team’s most consistent offense at #24/- Tennessee (Feb. 15), tallying 11 of the team’s 24 first-half points and added six of the second half’s first eight points to keep Lady Vols within reach
• Played just 23 minutes against #1/1 UConn (Feb. 8) due to injury, but tied for team-high honors with 13 points, including 4-of-4 shooting in first half
• Carried offense early at #10/10 Texas A&M (Jan. 31), scoring 17 of team’s 25 first-half points and all eight of its second-quarter points, adding a putback and key defensive boards late in the game
• Overcame tough shooting night at #10/10 Mississippi State (Jan. 24) to record two of her four blocks and two of her 11 rebounds in the final 2:08, including one of each in the final 13 seconds
• Delivered second-straight 26-point, eight-block game, adding eight rebounds against #15/11 Texas A&M (Jan. 17), scoring team’s first six points of second half to reclaim lead and adding five during 1:12 span of fourth quarter
• Powered win at #9/9 Kentucky (Jan. 14) with six of her career-high eight blocks coming in second half, along with 15 of her game-high 26 points, including eight in 15-2 fourth-quarter run
• Named MVP of Rainbow Wahine Showdown, averaging 20.7 points on 65.0 percent shooting (26-of-40), 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, helping her to SEC co-Player of the Week honors as well (Nov. 24-30)
• Grabbed three of her fourth-quarter rebounds, including two offensive, in the final seven seconds of tie game, getting fouled on the final one and hitting two free throws with 0.6 seconds to deliver the win over #16/18 Arizona State (Nov. 27)
• Hit from the left block to launch a 10-4 run that broke a 58-58 tie with 3:50 left to play and put the Gamecocks up for good at UCLA (Nov. 22)
• Scored 12 of her team-high 20 points against #6/10 Ohio State (Nov. 13) in the fourth quarter, including six of the team’s 10 points in the final 2:35 to deliver the win

Freshman Year (2014-15)

• Earned Third-Team All-America honors from the Associated Press, the first Gamecock freshman to capture the honor
• Named SEC Freshman of the Year (Coaches, AP) and a First-Team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches
• Played in every game with one start (Southern Cal)
• Ranked 12th in the league in points (13.1) and rebounds (6.6) – only freshman among league’s top 20 in both categories – coming in second in blocks (1.8)
• Recorded five double-doubles
• Scored in double figures 29 times with five 20-point games
• Led the team in scoring 15 times – Clemson, vs. Wisconsin, NCCU, Charlotte, Savannah State, vs. Liberty, Auburn, at LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU, Vanderbilt, at Kentucky, Savannah State (NCAA), vs. Notre Dame (NCAA)
• Was the team’s top rebounder nine times – San Diego State, vs. Syracuse, NCCU, vs. Liberty, at LSU, at Alabama, Mississippi State, at Kentucky, Savannah State (NCAA)
• Posted three rebounds, two points and blocked the first potential game-winning shot in the final 3:45 of the national semifinal against #2/2 Notre Dame (Apr. 5)
• Averaged 3.0 blocks in the SEC Tournament (3 games), including four against Arkansas (Mar. 6) in quarterfinals
• Repeatedly turned away #5/5 Tennessee (Mar. 8) in the SEC Tournament championship, scoring the last four points of the first half as Gamecocks rallied for a three-point halftime lead, then scored four straight points after Lady Vols got within three midway through the second half
• Dominated at #13/15 Kentucky (Mar. 1) for fifth double-double of the season – grabbed school freshman-record 19 rebounds and posted six blocks, a Gamecocks freshman record in an SEC game
• Became first freshman in Gamecock history to post back-to-back 20-point games in SEC play with 20 points against Vanderbilt (Feb. 15), including seven during a 9-0 run that built a double-digit lead late in the first half
• Overpowered LSU (Feb. 12) with career-high 26 points in 25 minutes, including eight points of the Gamecocks’ 16-4 run that broke open the game midway through the first half
• Picked up fourth SEC Freshman of the Week award after averaging 15.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in wins over Texas A&M, Alabama and Ole Miss
• Captured SEC and USBWA National Freshman of the Week honors after leading team to three wins (Dec. 1-7)
• Capped the team’s comeback from four points down in the final 42 seconds at #9/8 Duke (Dec. 7) with a game-winning putback with two seconds left … three of her four made field goals gave team the lead at different points of the second half
• Recorded first career double-double against No. 22/22 Syracuse (Nov. 28), including critical play in final two minutes after Gamecocks had taken a narrow lead, recording a blocked shot, a putback and a steal

High School

• Tabbed WBCA, Naismith and Parade Magazine Player of the Year as a senior (2013-14)
• Rated No. 1 recruit in the nation by espnW HoopGurlz (Class of 2014)
• Named 2014 McDonald’s All-American and South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year (2013-14)
• Earned state player of the year honors from South Carolina independent School Association (SCISA) the last three years of her career (2012-14)
• Guided Heathwood to 2014 state championship in 2013-14, erasing the runner-up finish of her junior year
• Averaged 34.4 points 13.9 rebounds and 5.0 blocks as a senior, shooting 57 percent in 2013-14
• Was a five-time South Carolina Independent School Association All-State selection (2010-14)
• Also earned all-state and all-region honors in volleyball in 2012

Personal

• Daughter of Eva and Roscoe Wilson, Jr., has an older brother, Renaldo
• Father played basketball professionally in Europe for 10 seasons
• Majoring in mass communications