Former Terp basketball player & NBA champion shines in start last night
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There are many former Maryland men's basketball products who are spread across the NBA, but one familiar name shone in his starting gig opportunity last night. Aaron Wiggins was a small forward for the Terps from 2018 to 2020, but now is an NBA Champion with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2025), helping the franchise capture its first-ever Larry O'Brien trophy.
Entering the new season this year, Oklahoma City looks to defend its title as the "defending champs" and go back-to-back, a feat that has not been accomplished since 2017 and 2018 by the Golden State Warriors.
The Thunder opened the season on Tuesday evening by raising the championship banner and receiving their rings. They also defeated the Houston Rockets, led by Kevin Durant, in an entertaining double overtime victory of 125- 124.
Wiggins played 20 minutes off the bench, scoring 10 points on 50% shooting from the field, and hitting two 3-pointers.
AARON WIGGINS WITH AUTHORITY pic.twitter.com/Ut34Jy0OjK
— Happy Hour Hoops (@happyhourhoops1) October 22, 2025
However, last night was a different story for the five-year veteran. The Thunder are now dealing with numerous injuries in their backcourt, missing guards Isaiah Joe, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso. On top of that, forwards Kenrich Williams and Jalen Williams are missing significant time to begin the season.
These injuries allowed Wiggins to be inserted into the starting lineup as the starting three in an NBA Finals rematch against the Indiana Pacers last night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Wiggins dropped 23 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, hitting all four free throws and 5 of his nine three-point attempts in 35 minutes of play.
🎯 23 points, 9 rebonds à 5/9 de loin pour Aaron Wiggins face aux Pacers, auteur de deux tirs absolument décisifs en deuxième OT.
— Oklahoma City Thunder France (@OKCThunderFR) October 24, 2025
Sauver le basket est sa profession. pic.twitter.com/VAWQ2SfLoM
He was huge for a Thunder offense missing its second-leading scorer and perimeter threats. The attention stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren draw from the opposing defense's open-up lanes and great shot opportunities for their teammates. Wiggins displayed his ability to step up when his name is called, hitting two big-time shots from beyond the arc in double overtime to expand the gap from the Pacers.
In his rookie season, Wiggins played 24.2 minutes per game before seeing his minutes decrease over the next two seasons after the Thunder, who were in the midst of a rebuild, drafted him and brought in more assets to a young, up-and-coming roster.
Last year, he carved out a larger role, averaging a career high in points (12.0), assists (1.8), and rebounds (3.9) while playing 76 games and starting in 26, his most since his rookie season (35).
He's a more than capable player and will return to the bench when the Thunder's key pieces return, but expect head coach Mark Daigneault to still find time for the 26-year-old to be a key contributor.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.