WNBA star A’ja Wilson receives statue from her alma mater University of South Carolina

The College of South Carolina on Thursday unveiled a statue in honor of alumna and WNBA star A’ja Wilson on Thursday. 

In honor of the Wilson’s achievements on the College of South Carolina, her former faculty erected a statue exterior the Colonial Life Enviornment in Columbia, depicting Wilson capturing a basketball. Wilson, 24, commented on the pictures, saying “see you quickly SC.” 

The Columbia native who performs for the Las Vegas Aces completed final season with league MVP honors and made a visit to the WNBA Finals. Whereas already profitable within the professional recreation, her faculty profession with the Gamecocks was excellent. Wilson was a three-time first-team all-American, nationwide participant of the yr and gained an NCAA championship. She can be the varsity’s all-time main scorer and thought of the best athlete in Gamecocks’ historical past. 

After information of the statue broke, Wilson acquired reward from all corners of the sports activities world, together with from former NBA participant Pau Gasol, Indianapolis Colts participant Darius Leonard, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant and Indiana Fever guard Tiffany Mitchell. ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson tweeted her response to Wilson getting a memorial. 

“WOW I could have teared up after seeing this,” she wrote. “A’ja Wilson you might be so deserving, girls athletes are so deserving.” 

Los Angeles Lakers celebrity LeBron James additionally chimed in.  

His tweet elicited a response from Wilson, who thanked James, however joked that her Twitter mentions have been “already in flames” earlier than he commented. 

CBS affiliate WTLX reported that Chicago-based sculptor Julie Rotblatt-Amrany constructed the statue. Rotblatt-Amray has created a number of statues of star athletes, together with the considered one of Michael Jordan in Chicago.

The statue for Wilson comes because the WNBA announced that Las Vegas Raiders owner Mike Davis bought her workforce on Thursday, pending approval from the league’s board of governors.