The relationship between a college and a professional athlete is always special. But, for A’ja Wilson, her connection with the University of South Carolina is a little extra special. She is one of the few players to have both her jersey retired and have a statue at the Gamecocks’ campus, and deservedly so. When you lead your college to their first national championship on their program, you’re bound to get all the accolades and immeasurable love.

Even after leaving college seven years ago, A’ja Wilson is still full of love for her college. “No matter how many license plates I change, no matter how many driver’s licenses I may have, I’m a South Carolinian through and through, and 803 has my heart.” These quotes straight out of A’ja Wilson’s book truly exemplify her love and bond with USC. Now, with a new deal for USC, this bond is about to become even stronger. But while the whole talk around the basketball scene was this new deal, the Las Vegas Aces head coach was left without words. 

As the reporters asked A’ja Wilson about her pre-game fit, a t-shirt with a date, 7.1.26, had no clue what it’s about.  As she asked A’ja what it was, she was even hilariously called out by a reporter to ‘stay online’. When talking about the deal, A’ja said, “Yeah, it’s a full-circle moment. When the AD called me and told me that this was happening. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I wasn’t even bitter about the NIL deal. I’m bitter about them getting to wear the swoosh.” 

In case you missed it, A’ja Wilson’s college, USC, recently signed a 10-year deal worth around $80 million with Nike. The deal kicks in on July 1, 2026, and has a touching connection to A’ja as well. According to the terms of the deal, Nike will provide $70 million worth in retail allotment, $5 million in cash compensation, $2.5 million in supplementary product allotment, and a 15% royalty to players and the college on net sales of merchandise. 

As per the deal, all the basketball program athletes will be supplied with A’ja signature shoe, A2, in their college colorways. Talking about her reaction to this news, A’ja said, “Once he said that they’ll start getting the A2 collection, my heart just had no choice but to smile because it truly is a full-circle moment.” According to the terms of the deal, A’ja Wilson and her signature shoe will be a huge part of the deal. While the players are to get the signature shoe, that’s not all. The contract also states that Nike will also integrate A’ja Wilson into their travel and some other team gear as well. 

While A’ja was telling her reaction to all this, it wasn’t just her who was smiling. Sitting next to her, Aces head coach Becky Hammon was also beaming with a proud smile. Sure, the relationship between a coach and player is special. But moments like these, where the coach is also genuinely happy for their player’s achievement that don’t really impact the team’s record. This kind of relationship between the players and coach is central to why the Las Vegas Aces have been able to make a comeback in a season that seemed lost.

A’ja Wilson Continues Her MVP Surge as Las Vegas Aces Win 10 Straight

Coming into the 2025 WNBA season, the Las Vegas Aces looked a little different. After winning back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, for the first time in a while, the Aces were not viewed as favorites. With a big Kelsey Plum-sized hole in the roster, the team was expected to take some time and build chemistry. However, when the All-Star break rolled around, the Aces were stuck on a shocking .500 record at 11-11. However, since the break, and especially in the month of August, the story has flipped completely. 

From the All-Star break onwards, the Aces have a 13-3 record, thanks to A’ja Wilson constantly performing at an MVP level. In their recent win against the Washington Mystics, A’ja had a dominant night and scored 36 points. This win raked in a 10-game win streak for the Aces. Now with just 6 games remaining in their schedule, the Aces are sitting pretty at the third spot on the table with a 24-14 record. Comparing this to the All-Star break, when they were barely holding onto a playoff spot, this is nothing short of a miraculous comeback. 

In their 10-game win streak, A’ja is averaging a ridiculous 27 points per game. Her performances have not only lifted the Aces (who are just .5 game away from the second seed), but also propelled her into the MVP consideration. While Napheesa Collier was considered to be a runaway favorite for the award, her missing the last 8 games and Wilson’s surge have made the race very interesting. With a potential MVP matchup also in store on September 4, A’ja will look to continue putting her mark down for her fourth MVP award. 

Will she be able to pip Collier and become the first-ever four-time MVP in the league? We’ll find out soon enough!