Photo gallery (photos by Brian Hand)

Reenergized Wilson ready for a special season with Gamecocks (story by Kyle Heck)

Coates: 'I'm just trying to go out with a bang with my teammates' (story by Kyle Heck)

Gamecocks embracing challenge of knowing tough opener is on horizon (story by Brian Hand)

Former Fever head coach on Mitchell: 'I think Tiff's going to be a superstar' (story by Brian Hand)

Earlier this summer, South Carolina junior standout A'ja Wilson was at a Columbia gas station and the fact that she was there had everyone buzzing.

"Did you see A'ja Wilson? A'ja Wilson is inside. Did you see?"

These types of moments are regular occurrences for Wilson and members of the South Carolina women's basketball team.

They would not have it any other way, but they also would have never thought they would be a part of a program that was leading the country in attendance and having fans come watch their practices in Charleston and Greenville over the past couple of years with close to a thousand people in attendance each time.

"I never would have imagined this," Wilson told Spurs & Feathers while she was sitting at a table with fellow preseason All-SEC selection Alaina Coates at SEC Media Days at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Thursday, Oct. 20.

"We were raised in South Carolina, and you didn't really hear about women's basketball like that," Wilson, the preseason SEC Player of the Year, said. "You would go to games because it's there, but now being a part of where you can't go anywhere because people know you, I never would have imagined South Carolina turning into a basketball state."

Coates completely agreed with her teammate.

"I never really expected it to happen, but I'm grateful for the fact that we have the opportunity to see our fans," Coates, a preseason All-American, said.

South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley like her players is incredibly thankful for the support, but she also knows it's not really a surprise anymore.

"It's become our reality, really," Staley said. "It's the thing where we can now share with our recruits and their families. It's different. You're a big fish in a small pond when you come to South Carolina, and it's different. It has its perks and it has its drawbacks."

Staley uses Wilson as an example of the drawbacks that are dwarfed by the positives.

"I think sometimes A'ja's plate gets full with having to serve her reputation, but it's a great thing," Staley said. "I think a lot of programs - probably 90 percent of programs - walk around in their towns in obscurity, and that's not always a good place to be, but because people recognize our players and our program, I just think it's a great thing. It's what college athletics is supposed to be all about where you're giving them something and you're developing their ability to network and their ability to communicate because a lot of them don't want to communicate besides on the phone. It allows them to spread their wings a little bit. I'm proud that people recognize them, and I'm proud that people can walk up to them and they feel like they know them because that's the kind of outlook that we want."

Wilson points out that Staley talks with the Gamecocks all of the time about what they are representing.

"With a lot of fans and a lot of fame, you've got to understand that you're not representing just yourself, you're representing your University," the preseason All-American said.

Staley knows it is incredibly important to have these types of conversations.

"We have those conversations because they sometimes forget people are watching," Staley said. "Although they think they're walking down the mall and they're just shopping, people are watching. Some are a little bit nervous to come up and talk with them, and then you have some that are brave enough and want to have a conversation or want to share their hoop dreams with them. Yes, I have those conversations because they represent us, and they represent our brand."

**Story and photo by Brian Hand**