A’ja Wilson has capped off an already remarkable year by being named TIME’s 2025 Athlete of the Year.
The 29-year-old Las Vegas Aces star achieved a series of historic milestones. In June, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 career points. She also secured her third Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award, a record fourth MVP, her second Finals MVP, and her third championship.
Wilson is the first player in WNBA or NBA history to win all five honors—a championship, the scoring title, Finals MVP, league MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year—in a single season. Furthermore, she joins an elite group of just four players, including Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron James, to have won four MVP trophies before turning 30.
Wilson told the Magazine, “When you’ve collected everything, that’s Thanos. And this year, I collected everything. I don’t really talk much sh-t. I mean crap. I kind of let my game do it. This was my biggest moment of doing it, because no one’s ever done what I’ve done. And I think people really needed to understand that.”
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After the Aces won the championship, Wilson shared a post from Gunnels, who had called Wilson “the best player in the world with a real argument to be the GOAT” on October 8th. Wilson added a GIF of Big Boi from the movie ATL saying, “I know that ain’t who I think it is.”
“I could not,” Wilson joked, “not be petty.”
“I’ve been the GOAT since 1996 in my house,” she added. “I think I’m on my way there,” “I’m making it real hard for people to chase after me. That’s what it means to be the GOAT.”
Despite Wilson’s successful 2024 season, which included her third WNBA MVP and second Olympic gold medal, the narrative surrounding Caitlin Clark’s rookie year suggested that Clark “saved” the WNBA. Wilson voiced concern that this racially charged storyline was damaging because it ignored the history and foundational efforts of the many women, largely Black, who built the league.
Despite Caitlin Clark’s injury absence for most of the 2025 WNBA season, the campaign saw increased viewership for both the regular season and postseason, up 5% to 6% on ESPN networks.
A’ja Wilson saw this as vindication, stating, “Sometimes you need a proof in the pudding… we continue to rise to the occasion. It was just a matter of time for us to really bloom and blossom. Because we have been invested in each other and our craft for a very long time. It was just like, ‘They’re going to pay attention.’”
Players have leverage in negotiating a new collective-bargaining agreement, set to expire on Jan. 9 after a second extension on Nov. 30. Failure to reach a deal could lead to a lockout, stalling the WNBA’s momentum.
Wilson shared, “All of us are going to be at the table, and we’re not moving until we get exactly what we want.”
The seven-time All-Star has established herself as an exemplary leader during this crucial time in women’s sports. She acts as a vibrant ambassador for the WNBA and is finally receiving the recognition she deserves, appearing across major platforms recently. Her media engagements include The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce, and Hot Ones.
Wilson also has significant endorsement partnerships with companies such as Google, Chase, PepsiCo, and AT&T.
Solidifying her celebrity profile, she was spotted courtside backing her boyfriend, Miami Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo. She was also seen sharing an embrace with Beyoncé at a Formula One event in Las Vegas. Her influence has even reached the music industry, with Cardi B referencing her in the popular summer track, “Outside.”
Adebayo described Wilson as his best friend.
“As the young people say, that’s ‘twin,’” he remarked. “That’s what makes it so great. We’re striving for the same thing. We want each other to be better. We want to make it easier on one another, and we want to do this together. She’s a strong Black woman, man, and she does it with so much grace and positivity.”
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