At 29, A’ja Wilson nearly earned each and every honor from the WNBA has to offer. Now the star has earned the Hall of Fame induction with her South Carolina college. During her speech, the Aces’ superstar showered love on her home city, fans and the program. While doing so, she gave flowers to her college coach, Dawn Staley.
Dawn Staley also named Wilson the Greatest WNBA Player after she won her fourth regular-season MVP accolade. They shared a special bond ever since Wilson joined the program.
A’ja Wilson Praises Dawn Staley For Her Impact
Playing four seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks, the forward won an NCAA championship in 2017 with the Most Outstanding Player accolade. Leading the side with scoring and rebounds, she won a record three straight SEC Player of the Year awards and was also a Consensus All-American for the third consecutive year.
With her illustrious college and WNBA career, the star gave credit to her coach, Dawn Staley, who shaped Wilson’s career. “She’s instilled so much in us, and how to carry yourself, how to have a great attitude, how to be great in the locker room. I’m glad that I’m a student of hers, um, a player of hers, probably a daughter of hers, because she’s really instilled all of that,” Wilson said.
While the star praised her coach, Staley also never shied away from lauding her former player. The decorated coach praised every play, including the clutch play in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
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For the event, cameras caught A’ja Wilson posing with NBA boyfriend Bam Adebayo at USC Hall of Fame induction, showing their close bond. She credited Adebayo for his impact, but also showered praise on her parents.
A’ja Wilson Dedicates Hall Of Fame Honor To Her Parents
Entering the event with her boyfriend, the star said that the honor is for him, but the superstar forward didn’t forget about her parents, who stood by her right from the start and supported her every decision. During her speech, the Aces’ forward got emotional talking about her parents.
Thanking her parents, Wilson said, “You sacrificed, you cheered me on, and you kept me grounded throughout it all. This honor is for you as well.”
“This honor is for you as well.”
— Chaz R Frazier (@Chazf_tv) October 24, 2025
An emotional A’ja Wilson thanks her parents as she gives her Hall of Fame speech!
She also has a shoutout for her “boyfriend” Bam 👀🏀@abc_columbia pic.twitter.com/a83S0bw020
Thanking her teammates, the Aces’ head coach, South Carolina’s Head coach, friends, and family, the seven-time All-Star managed to give due credit to her loved ones. But Wilson even clapped back at doubters, letting them hear about her true feelings.