A’ja Wilson is one of the top women’s basketball players and an athletic hero. She got into basketball with the support and encouragement of her parents, despite her initial reluctance to do sports.
The former University of South Carolina women’s basketball player would gradually develop an interest in basketball. Her dad, Roscoe Wilson Jr., would make her wear a weighted vest while she scored layups. The athlete described this period as “the hell part” of their relationship, but it also helped to improve her skills.
Wilson played for the University of South Carolina from 2015 to 2018. While playing for the Gamecocks, they won the 2017 NCAA Tournament, three SEC regular-season titles, and four SEC Tournament wins. In 2018, the WNBA drafted her as the No. 1 pick in the first round, and she made her debut with the Las Vegas Aces.
READ ALSO: How A’ja Wilson repaid her parents for their sacrifice besides retiring her mom
That year, she won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award and became a member of the All-Rookie Team. Furthermore, she has won two WNBA championships and is a two-time league MVP, two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and five-time league All-Star.
In July 2024, the WNBA star made history as she became the Las Vegas Aces’ all-time leading scorer. Wilson scored 28 points in the 104-85 victory to bring her Aces total to 4,301 points, surpassing Sophia Young-Malcolm’s previous record of 4,300, according to CNN. Wilson also had 10 rebounds in the game at the Michelob Ultra Arena, earning her 11th double-double of the season.
Last month, the Las Vegas Aces star signed one of the richest shoe deals in women’s basketball. The three-time WNBA MVP and two-time league champion inked a six-year contract extension with Nike, as per ESPN.
READ ALSO: She’s just 11, but already a star journo in WNBA
The agreement came after she announced her signature shoe, A’One, which will be released in Spring 2025 prior to the WNBA season, according to ESPN. She is among some 13 WNBA athletes who have their own footwear with Nike, including No. 1 draft pick Caitlin Clark, USC star JuJu Watkins, and Liberty standout Sabrina Ionescu.
Interestingly, Wilson is currently the only Black woman in the WNBA with her own shoe. She will also become the first Black woman to headline her own signature basketball shoe for Nike in 22 years, since Sheryl Swoopes’ seventh and final model, the Air Swoopes Premier.
In 2023, there were concerns that no Black WNBA player had a signature shoe. Many wondered why Wilson did not have one yet, considering her amazing talent.
“In due time, in due time,” Wilson said of the shoe at a press conference that year. “We’ll see what goes on, but in due time I believe we’re going to get something moving and shaking. But I’m blessed just to have my name in that conversation.
“A lot of players don’t get signature shoes so for people to say I should or demanding that I get one, I’m blessed to be in that situation. So, in due time, we’ll see …”
