A’ja Wilson will be honored for one milestone before Arkansas, then may hit another

She’s back, she’s healthy and she’s rapidly approaching history — again.

South Carolina women’s basketball star A’ja Wilson returned from an ankle sprain this past Sunday against Kentucky and put together a stellar performance against the Wildcats. Thursday, she’ll lead the No. 9 Gamecocks into the first contest of a three-game homestand against SEC foe Arkansas at 6:30 p.m.

But before she does, she’ll finally get a moment to savor and celebrate a career milestone, a moment that her injury initially cut short. USC announced before Thursday’s game that head coach Dawn Staley will present Wilson with a basketball to commemorate her 2,000th career point, which she scored against Auburn on Jan. 11, the same game in which she was later injured. Only three other players, men and women, have scored that many points for South Carolina.

And once the game actually starts, Wilson will have a decent shot at joining another elite club. With 11 more rebounds, Wilson will have 1,000 for her career — making her just the fourth woman at USC to hit that mark and only the second player in school history, alongside Sheila Foster, to have 2,000 career point and 1,000 career rebounds.

Wilson is averaging 10.9 rebounds per game this year and has had 11 or more in 10 of the 17 games she’s played. Arkansas ranks 12th in the SEC and 242nd nationally in rebounding margin.

Wilson’s chances of reaching 1,000 Thursday are helped by the fact that she’s healed and not on any minutes restriction as she was against Kentucky, Staley said Wednesday.

“According to the injury report I got a day or two ago, she’s actually the most healthy one. So she’s going to play her normal minutes,” Staley said.

Battle of guards

Also on Wednesday, Staley praised point guard Tyasha Harris, who currently leads the SEC in assists and is on pace to break South Carolina’s season assists record.

“I don’t think another point guard is doing what she’s doing, in our league or around the country,” Staley said. “She’s seeing the floor extremely well, she’s picking her spots to be aggressive offensively.”

Staley was also full of praise for a member of Arkansas’ backcourt: junior guard Malica Monk, who leads the Hogs with 16.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.

“Monk is probably the quickest in our league,” Staley said Tuesday.

Calm before the storm?

Also during her “Carolina Calls” show Tuesday, Staley was hit with a deluge of questions from fans excited for the team’s matchup with No. 11 Missouri on Sunday, especially given the controversial way the teams’ first matchup this year played out.

But while Sunday at Colonial Life Arena is sure to be raucous, Staley was quick to urge fans not to look over Arkansas and let the crowd for Thursday’s game suffer as a result, adding that her team is taking care not to look too far ahead.

“We do a great job of compartmentalizing. We know Mizzou’s going to be a big game for us and for the fans, but we don’t lose sight of the game in front of us, which is Arkansas,” Staley said.

After Missouri, things get even more difficult for USC, which welcomes No. 1 Connecticut on Feb. 1 and then travels to No. 2 Mississippi State on Feb. 5.

Injury update

While Wilson and Harris, who both missed time with sprained ankles, are full participants in practice and will play against Arkansas, sophomore forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and redshirt senior Lindsey Spann will miss Thursday’s game with a bone bruise and knee injury, respectively. Herbert Harrigan is targeting a return against Mizzou, while Spann will be out at least a week, Staley said.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 5:30 PM with the headline "A’ja Wilson will be honored for one milestone before Arkansas, then may hit another."