South Carolina retires No. 22 jersey of A'ja Wilson - ESPN

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson stood at center court of Colonial Life Arena on Sunday, her hand on her heart and her parents' arms wrapped around her as they looked up to the rafters, where a lone spotlight shined on her collegiate No. 22 jersey being unveiled and officially retired by South Carolina.

Wilson gently shook as tears rolled down her face.

According to South Carolina athletic department policy, just because a jersey is retired doesn't mean the number is. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley, however, made it clear: No one in a South Carolina uniform will ever wear No. 22 again.

«South Carolina shaped me, not just as an athlete but as a person,» Wilson said during the ceremony prior to the Gamecocks' game against Auburn. «As I look in the rafters and see my jersey, I am reminded how important it is to chase your dreams without fear.»

The résumé Wilson built during her four years at South Carolina is long, and one Staley views as incomparable. The program's first four-time All-American and the 2018 unanimous national player of the year, Wilson helped lead the Gamecocks to their first national title in 2017, its first Women's Final Four in 2015, four SEC tournaments and three SEC regular-season titles.

She became the first player in league history to win SEC Player of the Year three times.

Individually, Wilson is the program's all-time leader with 2,389 points and 363 blocks.

«There is no one more deserving than this weekend with A'ja,» Staley said Saturday. «She legitimized our program. She took it to another level, and we still feel her legacy to this day. Everybody still talks about her contributions to this program. Everyone is always comparing what her impact was when she was a student-athlete here,