South Carolina women’s basketball: A’ja Wilson and Allisha Gray – Best friends and MVP candidates

Tuesday night in Las Vegas, the two hottest teams in the WNBA met for a game with playoff and MVP repercussions. At the center of it all was a pair of former Gamecocks.

Tuesday Night
The Atlanta Dream entered the game with the second-best record in the league and having won seven of eight games, trying to stop the Las Vegas Aces’ seven-game winning streak. 

The game lived up to expectations. Atlanta appeared to take control with an 11-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take a 10-point lead. But Las Vegas erased the deficit with a 13-0 run.

With the game tied at 72, A’ja Wilson hit what turned out to be the game-winning jumper. Wilson had a chance to ice it 45 seconds later, but Allisha Gray rebounded the miss to give Atlanta another chance. 

The Aces’ defense held, but it was another showcase for Wilson and Gray, the former roommates who are now two of the best players in the WNBA. Wilson finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks. Gray had 16 points, six rebounds, and two assists. 

Once upon a time, Wilson and Gray were roommates at South Carolina. They became best friends (Remember the infamous drive to Virginia? IYKYK.) and led the Gamecocks to their first national championship.

Both players went on to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, but their paths diverged significantly. It didn’t change their relationship, making it even sweeter that they are now two of the WNBA’s best players.

Different Paths
Gray was drafted by Dallas, a franchise that for most of the last 10 years was a mess from top to bottom. She won a 3X3 Olympic gold medal in 2021, but when she returned to the Wings, Gray’s playing time was slashed because “3X3 is a very different type of basketball,” according to coach Vickie Johnson.

By 2023, Gray clearly wasn’t wanted in Dallas and was traded to Atlanta. It seemed like a castoff to a franchise that was arguably in worse shape than Dallas. The Dream had cycled through owners, coaches, and players, and was better known for locker-room fights and politics than basketball.

But Gray had a new home with a franchise that wanted her, and she has done as much to turn Atlanta around as anybody. Gray averaged a then-career-high 17.1 points in 2023 and made her first All-Star game. She made another All-Star appearance in 2024 and swept the Skills and Three-Point contests (with Wilson wearing Gray’s trademark goggles on the sideline).

This offseason, Atlanta hired coach Karl Smesko, the former Florida Gulf Coast coach known for his high-scoring, three-point-heavy offenses. The free-flowing offense and freedom to shoot threes have been a match made in heaven for Gray. She became an All-Star starter for the first time and is averaging career-highs in nearly every category. 

Gray is also one of only two players to start every game for Atlanta, as the Dream has seen almost every other player miss time due to injuries. That steady production has vaulted Gray into the MVP conversation.

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Compared to Gray, Wilson followed a straight path to this point. She is a three-time MVP and was a unanimous choice last season after setting the league scoring and rebounding records. Wilson also won her second Olympic gold medal to solidify her status as the best player in the world.

But the Aces saw significant turnover in the offseason and hovered around .500 for the first three months of the year, a stretch that ended with the worst home loss in league history. The Aces – and Wilson – were written off.

Las Vegas hasn’t lost since that 53-point drubbing by Minnesota, and Wilson is once again on torching opponents. MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier hasn’t played in almost three weeks due to a sprained ankle, opening the door for Wilson and others.

The Friendship
Aside from the 2023 All-Star Game, when team captain Wilson picked Gray to be on her team, Wilson and Gray haven’t played together since the national championship game in 2017. 

That hasn’t put a damper on their friendship, even though their personalities couldn’t be more different. Wilson’s personality dominates every room she is in (or team she is on). Gray is a wallflower whose thick country accent and short answers make every interview unintentionally hilarious.

For years, Gray and Wilson have had a public mock feud over Wilson’s ability (or inability) to block Gray’s shot. So naturally Wilson came up with a crucial block of Gray’s layup attempt to preserve a 67-67 tie on Tuesday.

Gray publicly demanded that Wilson send her a pair of A’Ones when they were released. Wilson obliged, and Gray wears them in games.

Early in the fourth quarter, Wilson set a screen on Gray that knocked her to the floor, grabbing her elbow. Wilson came over to Gray and made a joke, leading Gray to playfully shove Wilson away. Later, Gray playfully taunted Wilson after drawing a foul, and Wilson chirped back, “Keep your hands to yourself!”

“I guess she wanted me to get a foul call, but it didn’t work out,” Wilson said. “I’m glad she’s good and healthy and moving right. It’s always a joy to compete against her.”

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The Future
Atlanta is promoting Gray for MVP with its “MVPLish” hashtag. Las Vegas doesn’t have a new slogan for Wilson, still using “M’V3.” But Wilson reaches a new milestone seemingly every game, so she doesn’t need as much publicity as Gray.

“I love Lish with my whole heart,” Wilson said after the game. “That’s my dog. That’s my ride or die. To see her flourish and what she’s doing in this league, it comes by no surprise to me, but I’m so glad she’s finally putting the league on notice as to what she can do on both ends of the basketball (court).”

Atlanta and Las Vegas play one more time this season, next Wednesday in Atlanta. Aces games in Atlanta are typically flooded with Gamecock fans, and historically, Wilson and Gray have put on a show (Wilson scored her WNBA-record 53 points in Atlanta).

The former roommates will hug, laugh, and talk a little trash. Just like they were back in Columbia, SC, in 2017.

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