"Top tier blessing" - A'ja Wilson elated over South Carolina Gamecocks' Hall of Fame nod

A'ja Wilson and five other outstanding athletes made the list of the South Carolina Gamecocks' Hall of Fame class for this year. The announcement was made by the school on Monday, Aug. 5.

She will join Natasha Hastings, Brandon Hulko, Paul Jubb, Akram Mahmoud, and Mollie Patton in the HoF class scheduled for October 23 later this year. Wilson is the only athlete from the basketball team.

The Gamecocks' social media announced it on Monday on Instagram. The Las Vegas Aces star expressed her feelings with the social media post. She reposted the post by @gamecockwbb on her IG Story and captioned it with a three-word reaction.

"Top Tier blessings 🙏🏽🤍."

Wilson's reacted to Hall of Fame news [Credit: IG/@aja22wilson]

The Association of Lettermen will host the prestigious HoF ceremony. The inductees will also be recognized during the football game between South Carolina and Alabama, which is scheduled two days after the induction.

The Las Vegas Aces picked A'ja Wilson from the University of South Carolina as the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 WNBA draft. She made an immediate impact by earning the Rookie of the Year award. In less than five years in the league, she built one of the most impressive resumes in WNBA history.

Wilson is now a two-time WNBA champion and a WNBA Finals MVP. She is a three-time MVP and has won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice. She leads the league in blocks four times and is the scoring champion in 2024. She also holds the record for most points scored in a single WNBA season by a player.

A'ja Wilson's career summary with the Gamecocks

A'ja Wilson left an enduring legacy with the South Carolina Gamecocks. She led the team to the 2017 national championship and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. A year later, she was unanimously recognized as the National Player of the Year.

Wilson's decorated career with South Carolina saw her win multiple awards in 2018, including AP Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award, Wade Trophy, USBWA National Player of the Year, and Lisa Leslie Award, all in a single year.

Wilson also holds the record for the most points (2,389) scored and the most blocks (363) by a player in USC’s history. She ranks fourth in school history for most rebounds (1,195) and holds the record for blocks per game (2.6).

Earlier this year, on Feb. 2, the Gamecocks retired A'ja Wilson's USC jersey. USC also unveiled a statue of hers in 2021 outside the Colonial Life Arena.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer