At the heart of A’ja Wilson’s journey from a standout college player to one of the WNBA’s biggest stars is a story of talent, hard work, and tough love from Dawn Staley.
Dawn Staley, who sees herself as both a critic and cheerleader, remains an influential figure in A’ja Wilson’s life. A’ja Wilson played for South Carolina from 2014 to 2018 under coach Dawn Staley, winning SEC Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2016.

Staley recruited Wilson during her high school years, building a relationship with Wilson and her family.
By the time Wilson arrived in South Carolina, their bond was already strong, and it deepened as they shared victories, defeats, and the Gamecocks’ first national championship.

“I tell her when she sucks, but I also tell her, ‘Ain’t nobody can stop you,” Staley said.
This mix of tough love and high praise is evident in their interactions, including texts critiquing Wilson’s game or playful jabs about her rebounding stats on social media.

Staley stopped a team scrimmage in one memorable instance because she felt Wilson wasn’t giving her best effort. Wilson was pulled from the game, replaced,
and forced to watch her team struggle without her.
“She looked like everybody else,” Staley said. “Aja Wilson? Come on now. That’s not what we’re going to do.”

“We have lots of laughs”” Staley said. “I’ve wiped tears. I’ve hugged on her. I’ve loved up on her. I’ve criticized her. We are just authentic, and it just organically
happened.”

“Wilson thinks about being pulled from that college scrimmage almost every day.”

The incident was a turning point for Wilson, teaching her that mediocrity wasn’t an option.

“She showed me that I can never be average,” Wilson said.

Wilson is a cornerstone of the Las Vegas Aces, who drafted her first overall in 2018.

She has already achieved extraordinary accolades: two WNBA MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year title, and a reputation as one of the league’s fiercest competitors.
Despite these accomplishments, Wilson continues to push herself, often spurred by Staley’s ongoing guidance.
Wilson often reflects on Staley’s lessons, particularly the importance of standing out. After a disappointing performance in the semifinals of the 2022 WNBA playoffs,
Wilson bounced back with dominant performances, averaging 30 points and 12.3 rebounds in the series.
Staley noted that this resilience showed far Wilson had come since her college days.