South Carolina women’s basketball, A’ja Wilson nominated for 2024 ESPYS

Current and former Gamecocks women’s basketball players are nominated for three awards at the 2024 ESPYS, ESPN announced Wednesday.

South Carolina’s 2023-24 squad is nominated for Best Team after completing the first undefeated season in NCAA Division I since 2016 and bringing home its third national championship in program history. Gamecock great and current star for the Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson is nominated for Best Athlete in Women’s Sports and Best WNBA Player.

This is South Carolina’s second team nomination. The Gamecocks were up for Best Team after winning their first national championship in 2017, though the Chicago Cubs won that year. While South Carolina was not nominated after the 2022 national championship season, Naismith Player of the Year and Final Four MOP Aliyah Boston was up for Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports.

Oklahoma softball player Jocelyn Alo took home the honor.

This is also Wilson’s second nomination for Best Athlete in Women’s Sports. She was up for the award in 2023 — though Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin won — along with Best WNBA Player and part of the Aces’ nomination for Best Team. Wilson won her second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award last season and was named Finals MVP after leading the Aces to back-to-back championships.

She currently leads the league in points (27.8) and rebounds (11.6) and is No. 1 in the league’s efficiency metric. Wilson also holds the WNBA record for consecutive regular season games with 20-plus points at 19 (a streak that lives on heading into Las Vegas’ game versus the Chicago Sky Thursday).

The ESPYS will broadcast live July 11 at 8 p.m. on ABC from Los Angeles. Retired tennis legend Serena Williams will host.

Voting is now open and will close at 5 p.m. July 11.

Fans can vote at this link. The full list of nominees can be found here.

Best Athlete, Women’s Sports

• Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball

• Coco Gauff, Tennis

• Nelly Korda, Golf

• A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best Team

• South Carolina Gamecocks, NCAA Women’s Basketball

• Kansas City Chiefs, NFL

• Michigan Wolverines, NCAA Football

• Las Vegas Aces, WNBA

• University of Connecticut Huskies, NCAA Men’s Basketball

• Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA Softball

• Boston Celtics, NBA

• Florida Panthers, NHL

• Texas Rangers, MLB

Best WNBA Player

• Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

• Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

• Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun

• A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces