Tonight marks a Senior Night unlike any other for the South Carolina women’s basketball team.

The Gamecocks will recognize A’ja Wilson, the face of the program and the most dynamic player to ever wear the Garnet & Black.

Four years ago, the Hopkins native took a gamble and chose to stay home and not be lured away to the elite programs for instant success.

Wilson, the No. 1 recruit out of high school at Heathwood Hall, trusted what USC coach Dawn Staley was building. South Carolina was trending in the right direction but needed more to climb to the top.

Wilson almost immediately became the missing cog and unstoppable force that took them to the next level.

“There’s no place like home,” Wilson said when committing to her hometown university in April 2014. “They’re on the rise and I would just love to be a part of it. Coach Staley has done such a great job turning the program around so I thought that was my best fit.”

It was a perfect fit.

Wilson burst on the scene and won SEC Freshman of the Year as South Carolina marched to its first Final Four appearance. The confetti rained down on a different team but it didn’t dampen the new bar that had been set at Carolina.

Fast forward a year, the proverbial sophomore slump never came and Wilson’s game, accolades (remember that SEC Defensive Player of the Year?) and popularity only continued to grow stronger. The 6-foot-5 forward with rolled high gym shorts, an infectious smile and silly dance moves had become a household name.

She finished her second season with SEC Player of the Year and All-American honors as the Gamecocks steamrolled to a 16-0 conference record and SEC tournament title before falling in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

It was a shocking loss in South Dakota that pull the wheels in motion for what would become a tremendous step forward for South Carolina.=

All of the blood, sweat, tears — and her mom’s spreadsheets during her recruiting process — finally paid off for Wilson during her third year on campus in Columbia.

On the way to successfully defending her SEC Player of the Year award, Wilson’s leadership took center stage. The Gamecocks weathered some close losses, battled through the loss of Wilson’s compadre Alaina Coates and had to travel 2,640 miles to the West Coast to keep their championship dreams alive.

Wilson and South Carolina beat the odds and found itself back at the Final Four for the second time in three seasons.

All eyes focused on Wilson. The lights at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas sparkled extra bright. The stage was bigger than the Lonestar State.

This was the moment the two-time National Player of the Year finalist and two-time 1st-Team All American had always envisioned.

“My goal is to win the national championship,” Wilson told reporters in her high school gym after signing with South Carolina. “I think we can accomplish that goal. I’m not going to put a date on it.”

The date would be 1,082 days down the road on April 2, 2017.

After a double-double performance in the semi-finals, Wilson followed up with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds two nights later to deliver the Gamecocks their first national championship in program history.

Everything came full circle.

A flood of emotions is to be expected tonight when South Carolina celebrates its most decorated player and favorite to win the NCAA Player of the Year award. Wilson has accumulated plenty of trophies, game balls and rings over her last four years.

But when she stands next to her framed jersey and lifts her arms into the Colonial Life Arena air, everyone will be reminded once more of the player that took a chance and lifted this program to unprecedented heights.

Tip is set for 6:30 p.m. tonight against Louisiana State. Festivities begin at 6:10 p.m. Fans are asked to wear pearls, a signature piece of Wilson’s wardrobe in honor of her late grandmother.