The North Carolina women’s basketball team beat Miami 69-60 on Sunday afternoon, and after the buzzer, they were greeted by a special visitor: Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, one of women’s basketball’s most decorated players. Wilson, fresh off her third MVP season, was in attendance in Miami watching two elite college teams battle, and while she’s not an alumnus of either program, her status as one of the game’s top players made her a worthwhile locker-room visitor.
The Tar Heels were thrilled when Wilson entered the locker room visit after the big win — and the video speaks for itself.
The North Carolina women’s basketball team (13-2), ranked #17 overall, has been led by guard Alyssa Gustby (108 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game) and Gakdeng, who averages 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds this season. Gakdeng, North Carolina’s top scorer with 21 points on Sunday, turned to Twitter/X after the game to express her initial reaction: “The way I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
A’ja Wilson is not a Tar Heels alum — she spent four years at South Carolina, where she the Gamecocks to a national championship in 2017. But, that didn’t seem to matter to the women in the locker room, who were thrilled to meet one of the sport’s top players.
Wilson’s accolades speak for herself — she’s fresh off a unanimous MVP season in which she set single-season WNBA records for both scoring and rebounding. At 28 years old, she’s a two-time WNBA champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and three-time MVP.
So, although she might not have been in attendance specifically to support North Carolina, the Tar Heels took a photo with Wilson to commemorate the special occasion regardless.
