Geno Auriemma wasn’t mentioned, but South Carolina basketball’s Dawn Staley defends A’ja Wilson

COLUMBIA — While honoring A’ja Wilson, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley may have indirectly thrown shade at UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

Shortly after UConn beat South Carolina in the national championship on April 6, Auriemma addressed the crowd in a ceremony that was held when the team returned to Connecticut.

Advertisement

“Most other places, if you win one national championship, they build a statue for you outside the building,” he said. “Here, they won’t even let you get to the front of the bus.”

Many thought that was a jab at Wilson, though it was never confirmed. Wilson played at South Carolina from 2014 to 2018 and won the program’s first national title in 2017. She left Columbia as Staley’s most decorated individual player and has had a statue outside Colonial Life Arena since 2021.

Staley or Wilson haven’t directly addressed the situation, but on April 30, as Staley was honored with her own statue, she began her speech highlighting Wilson.

“I’ll admit I wanted hers to be the only one ever,” Staley said. “Contrary to the belief of one of my coaching colleagues, her statue wasn’t in response to winning a national championship. It was in response to being a winner at life. It’s a tribute to a hometown hero, a symbol of what’s possible for the youth of Columbia when passion meets preparedness.”

Advertisement

Her words prompted a roar of applause from the nearly 300 people who showed up for the historic day. In the audience were Wilson’s parents, Roscoe and Eva, who remain in Columbia, where Wilson grew up and attended high school.

Wilson, who has been with the Las Vegas Aces since they drafted her in 2018, couldn’t attend the ceremony, what with teams preparing for the upcoming WNBA season.

“It’s amazing, I hate that I’m missing it, but obviously I know she would cuss me out if I was there, not at training camp,” Wilson told Aces reporter Callie Fin, who posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “It truly just speaks volumes to who she is and what she’s done for that whole city of Columbia, the state of South Carolina, women’s basketball.

“It’s deserving. I’m so happy that she finally gets it. I hope that it looks good. I know if it’s anything with her, it’s gonna look great. I’m grateful to be standing with her.”