South Carolina Basketball: On WNBA opening night full of Gamecock stars, A'ja Wilson dominates

South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley has 10 Gamecock alums on active WNBA rosters as of last night's WNBA Tip-Off to the 2024 season, a number that is good for 2nd-best of any college basketball program (behind only the UConn Huskies).

Aliyah Boston and Victaria Saxton were part of Caitlin Clark's debut with the Indiana Fever last night, and they faced off against former Gamecocks Ty Harris and Tiffany Mitchell. The Atlanta Dream (home of Allisha Gray and Laeticia Amihere) plays the Los Angeles Sparks (team for Zia Cooke) on Wednesday night, and Kamilla Cardoso will miss her Chicago Sky debut on Wednesday due to an injured shoulder.

Kiki Herbert-Harrigan and her Phoenix Mercury played their first game of the year against the Las Vegas Aces, but the Tuesday night contest was one that was completely dominated by South Carolina basketball legend and the WNBA's top player A'ja Wilson.

Wilson went off in the Aces 89-80 victory, scoring 30 points, pulling down 13 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists, blocking 3 shots, and picking up a steal. She had just 1 turnover despite her high usage numbers, and she managed to go 10-11 from the free throw line.

Wilson was the leading scorer and rebounder for either team in the game, and her block total was tied for top marks with the Mercury's Natasha Mack.

Wilson and the Aces are the favorite to win the title again in 2024, and another championship would give them the league's first three-peat since the Houston Comets pulled the feat off with four titles in a row from 1997-2000.

Even so, this year will showcase an extra-motivated A'ja Wilson with a chip on her shoulder. Despite being the clear top player in the world, she was passed over in MVP voting in 2023, and the voting was so close that if a ridiculous 4th-place vote for Wilson (her lowest) would have been swapped with a 1st-place vote for Breanna Stewart, Wilson would have brought home the trophy.

Watching all of the Gamecocks in the W this season will be a treat for South Carolina basketball fans, but keeping an eye on A'ja Wilson is a must for all who follow basketball as the future GOAT looks to lay waste to the entire league.