A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum have been side by side since the Las Vegas Aces picked Wilson back in 2018, a year after selecting Plum. Together, they turned the Aces into a powerhouse, grabbing back-to-back championships and forming a bond that was more than just on-court chemistry. But now, Aces’ very own ‘Plum Dawg’ is heading out. Amid this absolutely wild free agency, while Wilson has plenty to say about the madness, she’s got nothing to say about Plum’s exit from Vegas.

After the blockbuster three-team trade that sent Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks and brought Jewell Loyd to the Aces, Plum took to Instagram on Friday with a heartfelt farewell post. 

She shared an emotional video filled with moments of her time in Vegas, thanking the Aces organization and the fans for “an incredible journey.” Her former and new teammates flooded the comment section with love and support. 

But you know whose name was missing? Her beloved former teammate-cum-friend A’ja Wilson’s.

Now, if Wilson had just been laying low on social media, we’d get it. But no, she’s been active. Just recently, she commented on the absolute chaos of this WNBA free agency on Threads, writing, “Just gonna wait til scout to see where everybody at! Causeeee I can’t keep up 😅.” So, clearly, she’s watching all the moves go down.

And speaking of those moves, this free agency period has been wild. First, the Aces, Storm, and Sparks shook things up with the Plum-Loyd trade. Then, the Mercury pulled off a blockbuster deal to acquire Alyssa Thomas. Brittney Griner took her talents to the Atlanta Dream. 

Courtney Vandersloot is now a Chicago Sky player again. Brionna Jones is also heading to the Dream. Natasha Howard is set to join the Fever. And the most recent chaos was a massive three-team deal between the Mercury, Wings, and Fever, with names like Satou Sabally, Kalani Brown, NaLyssa Smith, and Sophie Cunningham all on the move. 

And the fact that we’re not even done yet!

So, while we totally understand 3x MVP’s reaction to this madness (because, honestly, same), it still begs the question, why hasn’t she publicly said goodbye to Plum? A private farewell? Maybe. Processing the emotions? Probably. We’ll just have to wait and see if Wilson finally breaks her silence on losing her long-time teammate.

For now, the Aces star is also busy celebrating her jersey retirement. She’s been all over social media, reposting videos/ stories, and soaking in the love ahead of this huge milestone. And honestly, could there be a more fitting honor for a player with 22 program records and a legendary pro career that’s still going strong? We think not!

A’ja Wilson becomes first woman hooper in South Carolina’s history to have jersey retired

A’ja Wilson’s No. 22 jersey will officially be retired on February 2 at Colonial Life Arena before No. 2 South Carolina takes on Auburn (noon ET, SEC Network). And she will become the first women’s basketball player in the program’s history to have her jersey officially retired.

Fans in Columbia have already had the privilege of walking past her statue outside CLA since 2021. But now, they’ll get to look up and see her jersey forever hanging in the rafters.

Playing under Dawn Staley from 2014-18, the W star completely transformed the program. In 2015, she led the Gamecocks to their first SEC Tournament championship. Then, in 2017, she guided them to their first NCAA championship. 

She made history as the first player in SEC history to win Player of the Year three times and went undefeated in SEC Tournament play throughout her college career. Not to forget, she was South Carolina’s first four-time All-American and the National Player of the Year in 2018.

Then came the WNBA. Wilson was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Las Vegas Aces, making history as South Carolina’s first-ever top pick (Aliyah Boston later became the second in 2022). 

Since then, she’s stacked up accolades left and right. And obviously, she’s a two-time Olympic gold medalist, adding another in Paris just last summer. With all these achievements, you know this jersey retirement is beyond deserved. Moreover, her big day coincides with Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement at Iowa. 

Yes, two generational talents receiving lifetime honors in their programs on the same day. What could be more beautiful? So, whether you’re in Columbia or Iowa—or just watching from home—get ready to witness history. And if you want to catch both, better practice those screen-switching!