Be it his athleticism, the fact he also was a No. 1 draft pick or his cameo in "Broad City," Blake Griffin is A'ja Wilson's favorite basketball player. He even sent Wilson a congratulatory message after Wilson was picked first overall in Thursday's WNBA draft by the Las Vegas Aces.
Being the first overall pick AND getting a message from her favorite player @blakegriffin23.
— ESPN (@espn) April 13, 2018
A'ja Wilson is living her best life. pic.twitter.com/8wNC0uJ6bb
And that wasn't lost on Wilson's former coach, Dawn Staley.
Long before they brought a national championship to Columbia, Staley and Wilson have shared a bond that goes back to the days when Staley recruited Wilson. And that's what makes Staley's final parting gift to Wilson that much more special.
Staley shared a story on how four years ago, she waited in line to get Griffin to autograph a T-shirt for her. She waited until the right time to gift it to Wilson, and this was it.
Hey @_ajawilson22! Four years ago I stood in line to get @blakegriffin23 signature for you. I can finally give you what was stashed away for a long time. #trulytheresnoplacelikehome #gospreadyourwings #LVAces pic.twitter.com/PSCDr81RWc
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) April 13, 2018
This is just one of many examples of how great a coach -- and person -- Staley is.
