A’ja Wilson’s story is like a Hollywood script, only better—because it’s real. Coming out of the University of South Carolina, she wasn’t just a top prospect; she was the prospect, the LeBron James of the WNBA Draft. Her college trophy case? Overflowing. Four All-SEC selections? Check. AP Player of the Year? Yup. Oh, and a National Championship to boot. But behind the accolades and smooth jumpers, Wilson was facing a battle far tougher than any full-court press: dyslexia.
During her senior year, Wilson pulled back the curtain on her struggles, writing in The Player’s Tribune about what it was like to navigate school while grappling with the learning disorder. “The truth is, I had trouble with reading,” Wilson confessed. “And I was too embarrassed to read in front of the whole class.”
Imagine that—a future basketball superstar, petrified by a simple paragraph in English class. It wasn’t just about struggling with Shakespearean sonnets or deciphering algebraic expressions; the fear of failure began to creep into her confidence, making her feel, in her own words, “dumb.”
Diagnosis: A Name for the Nemesis
In high school, Wilson had no idea why she found academics so brutal. Wasn’t hard work supposed to pay off? Finally, she got her answer: dyslexia. And while most of us would probably curl up in a corner after years of misunderstanding, Wilson? She took it as a win.
“In a way, it was a relief,” Wilson recalled. “I could finally put a name to my struggles. After that, I was able to get accommodations and resources to succeed.” Cue the Rocky training montage, but instead of punching meat slabs, it was Wilson acing tests with new tools and smashing stereotypes with every jump shot.
Enter Dawn Staley: The Mentor Who Saw More
Long before Wilson became a Gamecock legend, she met a certain Dawn Staley at a basketball camp. Staley, cool as ever, handed the 13-year-old a certificate and hit her with an ice-cold prophecy: “I’m going to have to remember that.”
Wilson, ever the realist, thought, Remember me? Have you seen the kid over there dribbling like a Harlem Globetrotter? But Staley clearly had the script to A’ja’s future. Fast-forward to 2014, and Wilson was suiting up for Staley at South Carolina. The rest, as they say, is WNBA history.
From Diagnosis to Dominance
Since being selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, Wilson has been rewriting what it means to be a superstar. Three MVP awards, two Defensive Player of the Year titles, and two WNBA championships later, she’s not just thriving—she’s thriving because of her journey.
Her battle with dyslexia didn’t just teach her resilience; it gave her a superpower. Wilson’s mental toughness is why she can sink a clutch free throw with seconds on the clock and handle life’s curveballs with the same finesse she brings to the court.
So, the next time you see A’ja Wilson dominating the hardwood, remember this: she didn’t just overcome dyslexia—she slam-dunked it, walked over it, and added it to her highlight reel. Now that’s a legacy worth remembering.