'Thanks for putting up with me': A'ja Wilson bids farewell to USC, historic career

Through so many milestones, ceremonies and moments in her final collegiate season, A'ja Wilson, a self-professed "bucket of tears," kept her emotions, at least on the surface, in check.

But on Monday night, with 3:15 left to play and South Carolina clearly defeated by Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, Wilson left the game for the last time and wept on the bench. It was over, and as it is for the vast majority of college basketball players, it was over with a loss.

Still, Wilson said afterward that her tears on the bench were not just out of sadness. There was joy, too, as she thought about what the Gamecocks have accomplished this season and all that she has done in four years — three All-American honors, three SEC player of the year awards, a national title and USC's scoring record, among many other accomplishments.

"It's off the charts," Wilson said of her career. "I don't think I've ever dreamt something like this. My four years at South Carolina have been the best four years of my life. I don't regret anything. It's just been a lot of fun, and when I committed, I don't think I would have ever imagined going to two Final Fours, going to a Sweet 16, going to an Elite Eight. There are girls out there that have been playing in the tournament and wished they were in the position that I'm in. So I am very blessed. I am very honored to be coached by coach (Dawn) Staley, by a great coaching staff."

To her teammates, past and present, Wilson expressed gratitude, saying they "taught a lot of lessons that I don't think they even know they taught me."

"Thanks for putting up with me. I am a crazy, goofy girl that likes to have fun, and to everyone, just thank you so much. I know that I can be hard to play with, but they put up with me," she said.

While Wilson said she was hard to play with, her teammates had nothing but praise for the team captain, expressing admiration and love.

"It's been an honor playing with her," redshirt junior guard Doniyah Cliney said. "I learned a lot from her. She's my big little sister. I loved her from the moment we met and got a chance to talk. From that point on, we had a great relationship."

"She's meant everything. She's one of those people that stayed home and changed this program around. She's meant a lot to everyone, and for me personally, she's always there for you anytime you need her, regardless of whether it's on or off the court," freshman guard Bianca Jackson said. "She's a great person, and we're going to miss her dearly."

Part of what made Wilson so beloved by her teammates, Staley said, was her ability to not let her stardom affect those relationships.

"Sometimes when you're the star of a team, your teammates look at you differently. But she had a way with them to make sure she felt like she was one of the girls, but at the same time, if she had to crack her whip, she was there to crack her whip," Staley said. "That is what great leaders do. They make you feel like you're a part, but when you step outside the lines, they're there to put you back into place."

For Staley, Wilson was a special player not only because of her talent but because she was willing to come to her and open up.

"She reminds me of the relationships I had with my Temple players. I was really, really close with them ... because they talked to me, they gave me their innermost thoughts. They were true to themselves. They didn't care about what things looked like, if they looked bad telling a coach this," Staley explained. "A'ja was true to herself, and I have the best relationship with players who can communicate and use me as a resource."

Of course, Staley and the rest of Wilson's teammates expressed disappointment that they were unable to upset the Huskies and extend her career to a third Final Four.

"She means a lot to me. She's my sister," redshirt junior forward Alexis Jennings said. "I'm just kinda sad we didn't send her off with a bang, but she's going to do great things in the WNBA."

Wilson's future is rapidly approaching, even though she said Monday she's going to take some time to reflect — the WNBA draft is on April 12, and the 6-foot-5 forward is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick for the Las Vegas Aces, so much so that Staley nonchalantly referred to her future in Las Vegas on Monday.

"With what her future holds, a lot of people ask, 'Do you want to let her go?' I do want to let her go." Staley said. "I want her to spread her wings and give Las Vegas what she gave South Carolina, and I know they will be super happy with who she is as a player but as equally as a person."

Still, Wilson said that no matter where she goes, "South Carolina will always be home."

This story was originally published March 26, 2018 at 11:30 PM with the headline "'Thanks for putting up with me': A'ja Wilson bids farewell to USC, historic career."