A'ja Wilson reminiscing on Gamecock career

For one of the last times, A’ja Wilson was in Colonial Life Monday. This time she came though the front door, though.

Wilson, the most recent No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, was back in Columbia for the athletic department’s Gamecock Gala to celebrate her and her team’s athletic achievements.

“It means a lot,” she said. “This is one last time I get to be around the athletes and my teammates especially.”

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Monday caps a hectic week for Wilson, who was picked first overall by the Las Vegas Aces, after spending the last few days out West signing her contract and getting situated.

It’s been a whirlwind for her, going through the media circuit after getting selected about two weeks ago.

The process was hectic, she said, but a video message from NBA star Blake Griffin and having her family there helped.

“I was really nervous, but the call from Blake Griffin afterwards was something special to me,” she said. “It was a special moment—I’m glad my parents were there with me,” “Just to know all the hard work I did those four years and before college really prepared me.”

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Now she’ll go and start working on getting ready for her professional career quickly approaching.

Her first regular season game will be May 20 on the road against the Connecticut Sun and she says there’s still stuff to improve on.

“I can get in the gym and work for hours on my jump shot and expanding my game, but it’s just the mental aspect of my game,” Wilson said. “Girls are going to be faster, stronger and quicker than me so I have to still know how I can be effective towards my team.”

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There’s still a while before that, and Wilson’s back in Columbia for a little while, at least until training camp starts out West.

She joked it’s so weird being away from home, begging her mom to come out and spend training camp with her in Nevada.

While she’s in town, she says now the chance for her to reflect on her career as things calm down before the season.

“Looking back and taking it all in, we really did something special here. I kind of overlooked it because I was in the moment of it all but when I’m out of it now and I’m a professional athlete and signed that contract, I was like, ‘wow we really did somethings at south Carolina.”’