A’ja Wilson Will Be Set In Stone

A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces is getting a statue of herself made. Yes, you read the last statement correctly. The statue will be placed at the University of South Carolina, where Wilson graduated and played. It will stand outside the Colonial Life Arena, between the fountain and front entrance. Wilson was a three-time All-American and helped lead the Gamecocks to their first National Championship in 2017.  Wilson became the number one pick for the Aces in 2018, after winning every national player of the year award imaginable. 

A few days ago, the Board of Trustees at the University of South Carolina approved the statue of A’ja Wilson. The statue is set to make its’ debut before the 2020-2021 basketball season gets underway. The sculptor of the Wilson statue has also been chosen. The sculptor will be Julie Rotblatt-Amrant, who has created statues of Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, and Vince Lombardi to name a few. 

The budget for the project has been set at $275,000 by way of private funds, with $100,000 donated by none other than the head coach of women’s basketball at USC, Dawn Staley. Former USC President Harris Pastides said, “This was one of the easier fund-raising campaigns in my tenure.” And I believe it. Gamecock fans love to support their school and the athletic programs associated with it. After the design is complete, it will have to be approved by the design review committee, then the BOT buildings and grounds committee to achieve the final approval. I have no doubt in my mind that we will be seeing this statue in place at the Colonial Life Arena next year.

Now the real question is, what kind of shoes the statue will be wearing. Will Wilson’s statue be wearing the Under Armour kicks, as she did in school? Or will the statue be wearing her favorite pair of shoes, like her LeBron 16 Low’s? Only time will tell.