The Las Vegas Aces will face the Puerto Rico women’s national team on May 11 in Columbia, South Carolina.
The exhibition game will be played at Colonial Life Arena, home of the South Carolina Gamecocks, at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 11 — three days before the start of the 2024 WNBA regular season.
Both teams are using the game as an opportunity to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.
???????????????? ???????? ???????? ♦️♠️
The Aces are headed to South Carolina for a preseason game against Puerto Rico.
???? May 11
???? @CLAmktgTickets on sale March 3rd at 9 AM PThttps://t.co/D686U9gl0m pic.twitter.com/j2R5fV96n9
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) February 29, 2024
For the Aces, that means preparing for a shot at a third consecutive title.
Only one team in WNBA history has won more than two titles in a row — the Houston Comets won four straight between 1997 and 2000.
For Puerto Rico, that means preparing for a shot at some Olympic hardware this summer.
They’re one of the 12 teams who will compete for a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. It’s their second appearance in as many years.
And for A’ja Wilson, it means a return to her hometown and her old stomping grounds.
A’ja Wilson Bringing the Las Vegas Aces to Her Hometown
Wilson grew up not far from the University of South Carolina campus. She had several offers out of high school, but decided to stay close to home and play for Dawn Staley.
And it turned out to be the right decision.
The Gamecocks went 129-16 (.890) during her four years on campus (2015-18). They won four SEC Tournament titles, three SEC regular season titles, and the 2017 NCAA Tournament in those four years.
Wilson averaged 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.6 blocks per game (138 games played). She was named the Consensus National Player of the Year in 2018 before leaving for the WNBA.
“I’m excited and can’t wait to return to Columbia with my Aces team,” Wilson said of the exhibition game. “It’s my dream to be able to go back to the place where it all started and showcase what my skills are now. This means the world to me, and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
A’ja Wilson makes a powerful statement on getting a statue at the University of South Carolina pic.twitter.com/PPDu4wEj2a
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2021
The school installed a statue of Wilson outside of Colonial Life Arena in 2021, but this will be her first time playing in the arena since 2018.
The Las Vegas Aces drafted A’ja Wilson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft. She’s averaging 19.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game since entering the league.
Now, she’s ready to show Columbia just how far she has come.
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
