By Malia Poblete
The Sporting Tribune
The John R. Wooden Award will have a good time it’s fiftieth anniversary this season. Leading as much as the award ceremony on April 10, 2026, The Sporting Tribune in partnership with the Wooden Award and the Los Angeles Athletic Club will spotlight previous winners of the Wooden Award and the Legends of Coaching Award.
Before A’ja Wilson turned the MVP everyone is aware of and loves, she began out like anyone else with a childhood. The Hopkins, South Carolina native was surrounded by a household who valued training, self-discipline, and neighborhood. A powerful testomony to the position mannequin she’s grown into right this moment.
A dominant element of Heathwood Hall Episcopal, she was a mix of dimension, mobility, and contact. A basis she’s simply stored constructing on. She quickly turned the primary highschool recruit within the nation.
Wilson stayed loyal to her dwelling and ended up getting drafted to the University of South Carolina below the teaching of Dawn Staley. During her freshman season in 2014 she earned SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC All-Freshman Team, and SEC Sixth Woman of the Year exhibiting how impactful she was even coming off the bench.
Coming up in her sophomore and junior 12 months, she remained strong. She earned All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team honors after changing into the centerpiece of South Carolina’s assault in 2015. In 2016, she led the Gamecocks to their first NCAA championship, incomes Final Four Most Outstanding Player and absolutely dominating the NCAA Tournament along with her scoring and rim safety. She then turned a Naismith and Wooden Award finalist and repeated as SEC Player of the Year.
Just once you thought sufficient information had been damaged, she stored discovering new ones to focus on. Wilson’s senior season continues to be thus far some of the embellished particular person years ever recorded. She was Consensus National Player of the Year (AP, USBWA, Naismith, Wooden, Wade Trophy, Honda Award), SEC Player of the Year for the third time, SEC Tournament MVP, All-America First Team, and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. She averaged 22.6 factors, 11.8 rebounds, and three.2 blocks in convention play. And throughout 138 profession video games, Wilson averaged 17.3 factors, 8.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 55% capturing.
“I mean, the support is just unwavering. Honestly, it’s been something that has been a staple to our community in South Carolina, and to watch it grow, it brings a smile to my face, because I remember when the arena was empty,” Wilson informed the Sporting Tribune. “I remember when no one was there; now we sell out crowds. We have No. 1 in attendance. So that’s so key with our community as women’s basketball, also South Carolina, and it’s always just been there, even now, when I got my jersey retired, like the whole city just comes out and supports, so I’m truly grateful to be able to say I’m from South Carolina.”
Come commencement she was South Carolina’s all-time main scorer, and the quantity 22 was retired shortly after, an honor reserved for probably the most transformative athletes in class historical past.
The 2018 primary total draft decide belonged to Wilson which led her to be a key element for the Las Vegas Aces. With her on the heart, the Aces have received three WNBA championships (2022, 2023, 2025) the place she additionally earned Finals MVP honors in 2023 and 2025.
Wilson has turn out to be one in every of 12 WNBA gamers to launch a signature shoe with Nike (A’One), printed a e book Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You, and, alongside her dad and mom Roscoe and Eva based the A’ja Wilson Foundation. The group serves as a useful resource for kids and their households who battle with dyslexia to empower them to succeed in their full potential by means of academic programming, workshops and camps.
“Best advice I got during college would have to be, just be true to you,” Wilson shared. “That’s something I’m going to continue to just always stand on and believe in, is just being true to myself, no matter what I’m going through, the sun’s gonna always shine up the next day. If I could be true to myself and I could win from within, I’m okay.”
