A'ja Wilson: WATCH: Dawn Staley peeps over at A'ja Wilson's Las Vegas Aces during WNBA game against the Mercury

Dawn Staley may not be A'ja Wilson's coach anymore, but old habits die hard. ESPNW shared a hilarious clip of Staley peeking in on Wilson's Las Vegas Aces' huddle in Tuesday's preseason game against the Phoenix Mercury.

Wilson played under Staley at South Carolina from 2014-18, winning a national title in 2017. The star center was a three-time First-Team All-American and was the consensus National Player of the Year as a senior. Wilson is first in program history in points, blocked shots, blocked shot average, free throws made and free throws attempted.

Staley molded Wilson into a star who was drafted No. 1 in 2018. She has been named Rookie of the Year, a three-time MVP and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, among other accolades.

Last season, Wilson led the Aces in points (26.9 ppg), rebounds (11.9 rpg), steals (1.8 spg) and blocks (2.6 bpg).

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Dawn Staley supports A'ja Wilson by wearing her Nike signature shoe

Wilson released a signature shoe with Nike. In December, the Las Vegas Aces star reached a six-year contract extension agreement with Nike. ESPN reported that it is one of the highest-paying shoe deals for a women's basketball player.

The shoe design, called the A'Ones, was released on Tuesday, but Staley was rocking the sneakers long before their official release. Wilson gifted her former coach one of the first pairs of her signature shoes, and Staley showed off her new kicks on Instagram in February.

"Let us all “A” for the A’ONEs! @aja22wilson," Staley captioned the IG post.

When Wilson's shoes dropped on Tuesday, they sold out in less than five minutes. The hooper assured fans that her signature sneaker will be available again soon.

“This morning was wild,” Wilson said on Instagram. "If you missed the A’One, don’t worry. We’re dropping again Thursday at Nike stores and other spots everywhere. I do this for the real ones, always.”

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Over half a decade after Wilson's time with the Gamecocks came to an end, she and Staley remain close, as shown through their frequent interactions on social media and the two basketball legends showing up to support each other at events.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Ribin Peter