A’ja Wilson is the greatest Gamecock to play basketball at the University of South Carolina. Period. Wilson has broken double-digit school records and is top five in many other categories. Outside of South Carolina, she is in great standing when looking at not just the SEC but also the NCAA record book as a whole. With her name written in pen all over the record book, why is her number not already retired?
South Carolina rules state that an athlete must be removed from the program for a minimum of five years before their number can potentially be retired. In addition, athletics director Ray Tanner prefers to retire jerseys rather than numbers.
However, this policy is not a good one. By the time those five years are up, no teammates of the player are still on the team and no students would have seen that player in action.
Wilson broke numerous records in her time, so why can’t this rule be broken for the greatest Gamecock of all time? Not only has she scored the most points in SEC games of any Gamecock, she also is the all-time leading scorer in Gamecock history. She also holds South Carolina records in career free throws attempted and made, season free throws attempted and average career blocks.
She owns the top three in blocks for a season and season blocks average and is top five in many other USC categories. She is also fourth in SEC career blocks, 26th in NCAA blocks, 11th in SEC double-doubles, fifth in SEC career free throws and 101st in NCAA scoring.
Like records, rules are made to be broken. At the very least, there is an exception to every rule, and Wilson is that exception. Head coach Dawn Staley agrees that Wilson’s number should already be in the rafters at Colonial Life Arena.
“I wanted to do it tonight, because I think you have a better appreciation for what she’s done. Schedules may conflict in five years, but there are rules and we’ll abide by the rules,” Staley said to The Post and Courier after Wilson played her final regular season home game. “Obviously, I think she deserves to have her number hanging in the rafters.”
Wilson is also a great ambassador for the school and the program. Staley mentioned during the season that Wilson is always their go-to player for public events.
"A’ja is someone that always has a smile on her face. She’s always very pleasant. She is always very accessible to our fans, and anybody," Staley said prior to senior night. "There were some engagements that I couldn’t make and the first person we asked is not a coach, but A’ja. She’s always said yes. She’s always wooed the crowd, and always been a great representative of our program. She represents what you want in a student-athlete."
Wilson has left her mark at South Carolina, and although her impact will be remembered forever, she deserves to have that moment now. With Wilson being a powerful representative both on and off the court, it seems to be justified that she becomes an exception to the five-year rule. Hopefully the athletics department realizes Wilson is a once in a lifetime player and deserves to have her number raised to the ceiling at Colonial Life Arena surrounded by her teammates.