South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley is celebrating her players’ success at the next level on social media after one of their record-setting nights. On Friday, May 15, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, a former player of Staley’s, posted 45 points during a game against the Connecticut Sun. This is the fifth time in her illustrious WNBA career that Wilson has dropped over 40 points in a single game, a mark that has since eclipsed a league record.
Staley celebrated this by letting out a hyped-up statement on her X/Twitter page a couple of days later on Sunday, April 17. But the tenured tactician decided to generally cheer all the Gamecocks in the WNBA in her post. Ever since she took over the South Carolina-based program in 2008, Staley has produced some of the best talent the league has seen, including the likes of Wilson and Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston.
“THEM @GamecockWBB !! ALL OF THEM!!! Keep balling ladies!!!,” Staley exclaimed.
– Dawn Staley, April 17, 2026
Since her post, Wilson has gone on to lead her team to another regular season victory. Wilson’s 45-point outing against the Sun spearheaded the Aces’ 101-94 away win, which was followed by a nail-biting 85-84 triumph over the Atlanta Dream just moments before Staley’s post. In that game, Wilson scored 20 points and was matched up against other Gamecocks alumni such as Te-Hina Paopao and Madina Okot.
It seems as though Staley was fueled with her post given the intense nature of the recent Las Vegas-Atlanta matchup. All she can do is support her former players as she will continue to produce WNBA-ready talent through her program. Along with that, Staley is presumably aiming to return to the women’s college basketball mountaintop in the 2026-27 season. Last year, they lost in the NCAA title game to the UCLA Bruins, 78-51.
12 former South Carolina Gamecocks are playing in the WNBA
This year, a total of 12 former South Carolina Gamecocks had their name a part of opening day rosters. All of them were products of Dawn Staley’s program, and have kept their spots up to this point.
This is the most Gamecocks players any WNBA season has ever had, which breaks last year’s number of nine. In the 2026 campaign, South Carolina has the second-most entries by a college program in the league.
Also Read:
Dawn Staley Sends Encouraging Message for South Carolina Stars in the WNBA
A’ja Wilson Explains Why South Carolina vs UConn Isn’t a True Rivalry Yet
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