Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
A’ja relishes cheers, tears in ‘big day’
At star A’ja Wilson’s alma mater, the Aces dominated the Puerto Rico national team 102-50 in their sole preseason game Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina.
Wilson put on a show for her hometown crowd, leading the Aces with 27 points and 14 rebounds after placing her belongings in the locker she used as a Gamecock from 2014 to ’18. Guard Kelsey Plum added 21 points, and center Megan Gustafson contributed 17.
But the box score might end up being the thing the Aces remember least from their visit to South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena.
Wilson, 27, let her emotions flow as she thanked the 13,507 fans in attendance and hugged family members after the game. She announced her forthcoming signature shoe with Nike right before the matchup, a second major partnership after she previously
announced an endorsement deal with Gatorade on Tuesday.
“Today was a really big day,” Wilson said after the win, adding that the fans who met her and the Aces as their bus arrived at the stadium brought tears to her eyes.
The team’s whirlwind weekend was dedicated to honoring greatness and building chemistry. On Thursday, the Aces celebrated their back-to-back WNBA championships in Washington at the White House. They didn’t leave for South Carolina until early Friday morning after a delay of their commercial flight that was scheduled for Thursday night.
The travel issues didn’t stop the Aces from enjoying their trip. On Saturday, Wilson made good on a promise to her teammates, forcing them to wear South Carolina-themed outfits as they walked into the locker room in honor of the team’s NCAA women’s basketball title this year.
Rookie guard Kate Martin from Iowa didn’t enjoy wearing a Gamecocks sweatshirt, but Gustafson, a fellow Hawkeye, had fun with it, Wilson said.
“She handled it the best,” Wilson said. “The rest of them were some haters.”
Martin and former Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair both scored five points Saturday, and coach Becky Hammon
said they should be given grace as they adjust to the new level of competition.
With point guard Chelsea Gray ruled out, Hammon went with a starting lineup that featured Wilson, Plum, Jackie Young, Sydney Colson and Kiah Stokes.
Wilson said she didn’t feel like she played her best. Even with the definitive win, Hammon said the same for the rest of the team. For Hammon, it’s not about the score. It’s about playing to a certain standard.
“We’re not where we need to be,” Hammon said. “We’re not in the best shape yet. We’re still trying to get to where we can play at the pace that we want and still make shots.”
The Aces open the regular season against the Phoenix Mercury at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Michelob Ultra Arena.