Gamecock great A’ja Wilson earns MVP honors as Team USA wins Olympics gold medal
A’ja Wilson stood with her teammates on the medal stand in Paris.
A long way from Columbia, South Carolina. The city that made her, raised her and saw her illustrious basketball career come alive.
There she stood, 4,216 miles away, gold medal around her neck and an iced-out grill on her bottom row of teeth. A global stage befitting of the global superstar she has become.
Team USA women’s basketball, led by the Gamecock great, secured its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal Sunday with a 67-66 victory over France. She led the women’s national team to the continuation of what is now has the longest Olympic gold medal streak in a traditional team sport, passing the men’s national team’s seven straight golds from 1936-1968.
Wilson was named tournament MVP after recording a team-high 21 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the gold medal game.
The women’s streak began in 1996 at the Atlanta Games, featuring Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes. Eighteen years later, Staley recruited Wilson (No. 1 prospect in 2014) to play for her at South Carolina. The pair won a national championship together in 2017 and gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
On Sunday, Staley watched Wilson from courtside at Bercy Arena — just as she had the entire Olympic tournament. Her star pupil and honorary daughter was now a two-time gold medalist. Staley, rocking a black visor with Wilson’s signature “A’One” Nike logo on it, shouted Wilson out on NBC after the game.
“At the end of the day, we had A’ja Wilson and they didn’t,” Staley told Maria Taylor with a smile.
“... When it was time to make a play, she made a play.”
After a slow start (six points, nine rebounds, one block in the first half), Wilson accessed another gear in the third quarter. She recorded three demoralizing blocks, which provided some much-needed momentum for her team and broke Lisa Leslie’s record for most rejections by an American at an Olympics (15). Wilson secured 14-point, 12-rebound double double by the end of the period -- her fourth of the Games.
Wilson, who celebrated her 28th birthday just three days earlier, is regarded by many as the best player in the world. She more than proved why at the Paris Games.
The Las Vegas Aces star averaged 18.6 points and 10.17 rebounds in six games, leading Team USA in both statistics. Her four double-doubles, double-digit rebounds and 2.6 blocks led the entire Olympic tournament field.
After just three quarters against Nigeria in the quarterfinal Wednesday, Wilson notched her third double-double of the Games. She is her the first American since Candace Parker (2012) to record as many double-doubles at the Olympics. In the semifinal against Australia on Friday, Wilson swatted four shots in the first half.
Wilson made her Olympic debut in Tokyo. She started all six games in 2021, averaging 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds under coach Staley.
This story was originally published August 11, 2024 at 12:35 PM.
