Aces’ A’ja Wilson seeks WNBA advice from Sheryl Swoopes

Before A’ja Wilson emerged as a star player for the Las Vegas Aces, she solidified her name as a force to be reckoned with in women’s college basketball. Wilson led the South Carolina Gamecocks, under the coaching of Dawn Staley, to victory as the NCAA national champions in 2017.

Throughout the years, Wilson and Staley have fostered a close bond, with Wilson affectionately referring to Staley as her “second mother.”

Prior to the WNBA Finals series against the New York Liberty, Wilson sought guidance from her trusted mentor, reaching out to Staley for advice.

“It’s a moment that truly touched my heart. She texted me about a week ago, just before Game 1 of the Finals. She asked me for Sheryl Swoopes’ contact information,” Staley shared in an interview with CBS Sports. “She said, ‘I need her number because I want to know how to repeat.'”

Sheryl Swoopes, an icon in the WNBA, achieved an impressive feat of winning four consecutive championships with the Houston Comets from 1997 to 2000. Staley and Swoopes were teammates in 2005 when Staley played her final season with the Comets.

This season presents Wilson with the opportunity to become a back-to-back champion, a milestone she has yet to reach in her collegiate or professional career. South Carolina’s hopes of repeating were dashed in Wilson’s final season, ending with a Sweet 16 loss to the Baylor Bears. However, last season, the Las Vegas Aces clinched their first-ever WNBA title by defeating the Connecticut Sun 3-1 in the series.

“It’s a bittersweet situation because we couldn’t secure the back-to-back championship during my time in college. I can’t provide her with the experience of that victory,” expressed Staley. “Nevertheless, I’m grateful that I have Sheryl’s number in my phone to pass it onto A’ja, so she can achieve the very thing she desires.”

The Aces kicked off the WNBA Finals with an impressive 99-82 triumph in Game 1, thanks in part to Wilson’s outstanding performance of 19 points and eight rebounds, leading the team.

If the Aces secure a victory in Game 2 tonight (9 p.m. ET, ESPN), history will be on Wilson’s side. No team that has trailed 2-0 in a best-of-5 WNBA Finals series has ever come back to claim the championship.