Jersey retirements are the pinnacle of respect that any athletic program can give. They are rare, and not given out easily by athletic programs. In the WNBA, two of the biggest stars are en route to having their college jerseys retired–Caitlin Clark and A’Ja Wilson. Both of them were superstars in their own right while in college, and had really successful careers. A’Ja Wilson even brought the Gamecocks a championship!

Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement made waves, with Iowa celebrating their hometown hero. The way she revolutionised the program, and took the Hawkeyes to back-to-back championship games stuck with the fans. Her jersey will get lifted into the rafters on Sunday. However, Caitlin Clark will find herself back in the Carver-Hawkeyes arena in May to play a pre-season game. The love and the support she gets at home is unconditional, and rightfully so.

On the other hand, A’Ja Wilson attained just about every accolade possible in her collegiate career. The WNBA MVP, under coach Dawn Staley’s guidance, blossomed into a veritable superstar during her tenure in South Carolina. Wilson led the Gamecocks to a national championship in 2017, winning the Most Outstanding Player award. To honor her accomplishments, A’Ja Wilson will see her jersey lifted into the rafters on Sunday.

When asked about who would be the next Gamecock to get their jersey in the rafters, coach Staley focused on a recent South Carolina star. Aliyah Boston enjoyed a dream run as a Gamecock, winning 129 out of her 138 total games! The Indiana Fever star truly was a star performer for South Carolina, attaining MOP honors as she led the Gamecocks to another title in 2022.

Without a doubt, Aliyah Boston deserves to have her jersey up there with the greats of South Carolina basketball. However, the jersey retirements of Caitlin Clark and A’Ja Wilson might lead to some friction as well.

Caitlin Clark and A’Ja Wilson drama continues, jersey retirement woes

When South Carolina announced that they were retiring A’Ja Wilson’s jersey, Gamecocks fans celebrated. The reigning MVP was a boon to their organisation, and brought home a championship for Hall-of-Fame coach Dawn Staley. Not only that, the former South Carolina hooper has been dominating in the pros.

The drama between the two hoopers has been going on ever since Caitlin Clark joined the league. A rookie getting that much attention and praise is bound to rub some veterans the wrong way. Add a record breaking endorsement deal from Nike, A’Ja Wilson’s fandom was understandably quite upset with CC.

However, it worsened when Iowa announced Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement. The post got more than 300,000 impressions in just over two hours, while the Gamecocks post got left behind in popularity. Many Iowa supporters taunted A’Ja Wilson fans, calling Clark the ‘real face of the league.’

Nevertheless, it is a huge achievement for both parties. Women’s basketball is lucky to have the two stars, even if they may not always get along. Caitlin Clark and A’Ja Wilson are two players that are one-of-a-kind, players that transformed the game.