A'ja Riyadh Wilson ( ; born August 8, 1996) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home game ...

of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. The league comprises 13 teams (scheduled to expand to 15 in 2026). The WNBA is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The WNBA w ...

(WNBA). Wilson played for the

South Carolina Gamecocks The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I. The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fight ...

in college, and helped lead the Gamecocks to their first

NCAA Women's Basketball Championship The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, sometimes referred to as Women's March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 women's college basketball teams from the Div ...

in 2017, and won the

NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player The Most Outstanding Player (MOP) is awarded to one player after the conclusion of the championship game of the NCAA Division I NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, men's and NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, women's basketb ...

award. In 2018, she won a record third straight SEC Player of the Year award, leading South Carolina to a record fourth straight SEC Tournament Championship, becoming the all-time leading scorer in South Carolina women's basketball history, and was a consensus first-team All-American for the third consecutive season. Wilson swept all National Player of the Year awards ( Wade, AP,

Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...

USBWA The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 with the urging of National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The U ...

Wooden Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

, and Naismith) as the best player in women's college basketball. In the 2018 WNBA draft, Wilson was drafted first overall by the Las Vegas Aces. She won her first

WNBA MVP The Women's National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the league's inaugural season in 1997. MVP voting takes place immediately following the regular ...

with the Aces in 2020, winning again in 2022 and 2024. In 2022, Wilson helped lead the Aces to their first title in franchise history, a feat she repeated in

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

while earning Finals MVP. On July 7, 2024, in a matchup against the

Dallas Wings The Dallas Wings are an American professional basketball team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Wings compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team is owned by a group ...

, she became the Aces' all-time leading scorer. Internationally, Wilson plays for the

United States women's national basketball team The USA Basketball Women's National Team, commonly known as Team USA, is governed by USA Basketball and competes in FIBA Americas. The team is by far the most successful in international women's basketball, having won 10 out of the 12 Olympic to ...

, with whom she has won two Olympic and two World Cup gold medals.

Early life

Wilson was born on August 8, 1996, to Roscoe Jr. and Eva Wilson. She said on

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

's '' Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'' that she was named for her father's favorite song, " Aja" by

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...

. Her middle name

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

came from the Saudi Arabian capital, where her maternal aunt was deployed in

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

. Wilson spent her grade school and high school years as one of the few black students in Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, a southern Columbia private school. Wilson played a total of 119 high school games after making the varsity team as an eighth-grader. She averaged 24.7 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks a game throughout her high school career. She wore number 22 and played as a forward. After finishing as a runner-up in her junior year, Wilson led Heathwood Hall to the 2014 state championship as a senior. Her 35 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks per game as a senior made her the National High School Player of The Year in 2014, a Parade and McDonald's All-American, and the #1 rated

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

HoopGurlz prospect in 2014. Wilson committed to play for

Dawn Staley Dawn Michelle Staley (born May 4, 1970) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team. A point guard, she played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers an ...

at the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

College career

Wilson played in 37 games her freshman year, leading to four single-game freshman records in the SEC and three single-season freshman records in the SEC, and won the SEC Freshman of the year award. In 2016 as a sophomore, Wilson won her first SEC Player of the Year award and was a consensus All-American, Wilson led the Gamecocks to a SEC regular season and Tournament Championship. In 2017, Wilson once again led the Gamecocks to a SEC regular season and Tournament championship, and went on to win the school's first national championship with a stirring victory over the

Mississippi State Bulldogs Mississippi State Bulldogs is the name given to the college athletics, athletic teams of Mississippi State University, in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The university is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA D ...

in the championship game. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. In 2018, Wilson had her best season statistically, and won all of the National player of the year awards. She won a record 3rd straight SEC Player of the Year award, and was also a Consensus All-American for the third straight year. Wilson finished her college career at South Carolina as the all-time leading scorer for the school.

Professional career

WNBA

In 2018, Wilson was drafted first overall by the

. On May 21, 2018, in her career debut, Wilson scored 14 points along with 10 rebounds in a 101–65 loss to the

Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team i ...

. On June 16, 2018, Wilson scored a career-high of 35 points along with 13 rebounds in a 101–92 overtime victory against the

Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Fever compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was founded for ...

, becoming the second rookie in league history to score 35 points and grab 10 rebounds. Wilson would be voted into the

2018 WNBA All-Star Game The 2018 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 28, 2018. The Minnesota Lynx hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time. Rosters Selection On June 5, the WNBA announced that 2018 would have a new roster select ...

. Later on in the season, Wilson would be named the WNBA Rookie of the Year. She was tied for third in scoring. Her season performance almost led the Aces to the playoffs as they finished 9th place with a 14–20 record. On June 29, 2019, Wilson scored a new career-high 39 points in a 102–97 overtime victory against the

. In July, Wilson suffered an ankle injury that kept her out for 4 weeks, causing her to miss the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game. She made her return in mid-August. By the end of the season, the Aces finished with a 21–13 record and the number 4 seed, receiving a bye to the second round, helping the franchise get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. In the second round elimination game, the Aces beat the

Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2006 season. Th ...

93–92 in a thriller game, where teammate Dearica Hamby came up with a steal and nailed the game-winning three from half-court with 4-second left. However, in the semi-finals, the Aces would lose in four games to the

Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was ...

, who would go on to win the 2019 WNBA championship. In the 2020 season, the Aces were championship contenders. The season was delayed and shortened to 22 games in a bubble at

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. The organization is set across over 600 acres (243 ha) and features programs consisting of sport ca ...

due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. With her all-star teammate

Liz Cambage Elizabeth Folake "Liz" Cambage ( ; born 18 August 1991) is a British-born Australian professional basketball player for the Sichuan Yuanda of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association. She won the Women's National Basketball League in 2011 and ...

sitting out the season due to health concerns, Wilson carried the team by putting up peak numbers, the Aces finishing the season 18-4 and the number 1 seed, receiving a double bye to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the Aces would defeat the

in a hard-fought five-game series, advancing to the Finals for the second time in franchise history (first since relocating to Las Vegas); however with a shorthanded roster against a fully loaded

Seattle Storm The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team was founded by Gi ...

team, the Aces would be defeated in a three-game sweep. Wilson would end up winning the MVP award for the 2020 season. In 2022, Wilson would win her second MVP and first

Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...

award, averaging 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while leading the league with 17 double-doubles. Wilson helped propel the Aces to their second finals appearance in three seasons, where they would defeat the Connecticut Sun in four games, giving Wilson her first championship. On June 30, 2023, Wilson signed a contract extension with the Aces to keep herself in Las Vegas. On August 22, 2023, Wilson achieved a new career high in points, scoring 53 points along with 7 rebounds in a 112–100 victory over the Atlanta Dream. Her 53-point showing tied the WNBA's single game record and is one of three 50-plus point performances in WNBA history. Despite another strong 2023 regular season and being amongst the WNBA leaders in points, rebounds and blocks per game, Wilson fell short of garnering back-to-back MVP honors. She did, however, repeat as Defensive Player of the year in 2023. Fueled by Wilson's late 2023 season dominance, the Aces swept their first two 2023 playoff series against the Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings, respectively. The Aces carried that momentum into the Finals against the New York Liberty, winning the first two games of the series at home, while extending their playoff winning streak to eight games. Despite a Game 3 setback on the Liberty's home floor and losing two starters to injury, Wilson and the Aces overcame a late double-digit Game 4 deficit to defeat the Liberty 70-69 and win their second consecutive WNBA title, the first back-to-back WNBA championship since the Los Angeles Sparks repeated as champs in 2001 and 2002. Wilson posted averages of 23.8 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in the 2023 WNBA Finals, which bested her 2023 regular season numbers of 22.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She was awarded her first Finals MVP for her impressive performance in the Aces-Liberty series. On June 5, 2024, in the match-up against the

, Wilson became the first player to have at least 35+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ steals in a single game in WNBA history. On September 11, Wilson set the single-season scoring record against the

Overseas

In August 2018, Wilson signed with the Shaanxi Red Wolves of the

Women's Chinese Basketball Association The Women's Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the WCBA, is the first-tier professional women's basketball league in China. It was established in 2002 as the women's counterpart to the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). ...

for the 2018–19 off-season.

National team career

2020 Summer Olympics

In late March 2020, the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

(IOC) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government postponed the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

until the summer of 2021 due to the

. On June 21, 2021, Wilson was named to the 12-player roster for

Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

for the

2020 summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

. She and Team USA went on to win the gold medal in the tournament, defeating

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

90–75 in the final. At the conclusion of the tournament, Wilson was named to

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...

's All-Star Five team.

2024 Summer Olympics

In June 2024, Wilson was again named to the US women's Olympic team to compete at the

2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, alongside fellow Aces teammates,

Chelsea Gray Chelsea Nichelle Gray (born October 8, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Nicknamed "Point Gawd", she was the eleventh pick in the 2014 WNBA draft by ...

, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young. Wilson led the United States to defeat

67–66 in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

, earning Wilson her second consecutive gold medal and the United States' eighth consecutive gold medal. Wilson was named the MVP of the tournament after leading Team USA in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goals made, free throws made, and efficiency. She was also named to FIBA's All-Star Five team.

Career statistics

WNBA

Regular season

''Stats current through end of 2024 season'' , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, 33 , , 33 , , 30.6 , , .462 , , — , , .774 , , 8.0 , , 2.2 , , 0.8 , , 1.6 , , 1.4 , , 20.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 25 , , 28.4 , , .479 , , .000 , , .792 , , 6.4 , , 1.8 , , 0.5 , , 1.7 , , 2.1 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 22 , , 22 , , 31.7 , , .480 , , — , , .781 , , 8.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.2 , , style="background:#d3d3d3;", 2.0° , , 1.6 , , 20.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 32 , , 31.9 , , .444 , , 1.000 , , .876 , , 9.3 , , 3.1 , , 0.9 , , 1.3 , , 1.4 , , 18.3 , - , style='text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;',

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

^† , style="text-align:left;",

, 36 , , 36 , , 30.0 , , .501 , , .373 , , .813 , , 9.4 , , 2.1 , , 1.4 , , style="background:#d3d3d3;", 1.9° , , 1.7 , , 19.5 , - , style='text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;',

^† , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 40 , , 30.7 , , .557 , , .310 , , .812 , , 9.5 , , 1.6 , , 1.4 , , style="background:#d3d3d3;", 2.2° , , 1.6 , , 22.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 38 , , 34.4 , , .518 , , .317 , , .844 , , 11.9 , , 2.3 , , 1.8 , , style="background:#d3d3d3;", 2.6° , , 1.3 , , bgcolor="EOCEF2", 26.9 , - class="sortbottom" , rowspan=2 style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 7 years, 1 team , 227 , , 226 , , 31.2 , , .497 , , .345 , , .815 , , 9.2 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , 1.9 , , 1.6 , , 21.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;", All-Star , 5 , , 4 , , 21.5 , , .524 , , .307 , , 1.000 , , 5.2 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , 0.4 , , 1.2 , , 15.6

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 33.7 , , .436 , , — , , .950 , , 7.8 , , 1.6 , , 0.6 , , style="background:#d3d3d3;", 2.0° , , 1.6 , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 8 , , 35.4 , , .473 , , — , , .857 , , 8.9 , , 2.4 , , 1.0 , , 2.3 , , 2.0 , , 20.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 32.2 , , .435 , , — , , .654 , , 9.2 , , 3.2 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.2 , , 14.2 , - , style='text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;' ,

^† , style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 37.2 , , .552 , , .143 , , .791 , , 10.4 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.4 , , 1.3 , , 20.3 , - , style='text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;',

^† , style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 9 , , 33.2 , , style="background:#d3d3d3;", .554° , , .500 , , .831 , , 11.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.4 , , 2.3 , , 2.1 , , 23.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 6 , , 36.5 , , .535 , , .500 , , .750 , , 9.7 , , 2.4 , , 0.3 , , style="background:#d3d3d3;", 2.5° , , 1.3 , , 21.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 6 years, 1 team , 43 , , 43 , , 34.9 , , .512 , , .292 , , .808 , , 9.9 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , 2.2 , , 1.7 , , 19.7

College

, - , width="10%" style="text-align:center;" , 2014–15 , style="text-align:center;",

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, 37 , , 1 , , 19.8 , , .538 , , .333 , , .662 , , 6.6 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , 1.8 , , 1.7 , , 13.1 , - , style="text-align:center;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:center;",

, 33 , , 32 , , 27.1 , , .531 , , — , , .723 , , 8.7 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , 3.1 , , 2.2 , , 16.1 , - , style="background:#ffcc00; width:3em; text-align:center;", 2016–17* , style="text-align:center;",

, 35 , , 35 , , 28.4 , , .588 , , — , , .737 , , 7.8 , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , 2.6 , , 1.9 , , 17.9 , - , style="text-align:center;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:center;",

, 33 , , 29 , , 29.4 , , .542 , , .417 , , .732 , , 11.8 , , 1.7 , , 1.0 , , 3.2 , , 2.5 , , 22.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 138 , , 97 , , 26.0 , , .550 , , .375 , , .715 , , 8.7 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , 2.6 , , 2.1 , , 17.3

Off the court

Personal life

Wilson's mother, Eva Rakes Wilson, worked as a court stenographer for the Richland County School District 1 in Columbia, South Carolina. Wilson's father, Roscoe Wilson Jr., played college basketball at

Benedict College Benedict College is a private historically black college in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1870 by northern Baptists, it was originally a teachers' college. It has since expanded to offer majors in many disciplines across ...

and professionally in Europe for 10 seasons. Wilson has an older brother, Renaldo, who also played professional basketball overseas. Wilson is a Christian and grew up with strong ties to the religion (one of her grandfathers was a minister). Wilson majored in

mass communications Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large population segments. It utilizes various forms of media as technology has made the dissemination of information more efficient. Primary examples o ...

at the

, graduating in May 2018. Wilson established the A'ja Wilson Foundation in 2019 that advocates for preventing bullying and education around dyslexia. She is also a member of the WNBA Social Justice Council. Wilson is a member of

Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is an List of African American fraternities, historically African-American Fraternities and sororities, sorority. The sorority was founded in 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. Alpha Kappa Alpha ...

sorority. She has multiple tattoos, including one for her late-grandmother. Wilson is currently in a relationship with

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

center

Bam Adebayo Edrice Femi "Bam" Adebayo ( ; born July 18, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before being selected by the ...

Business interests

Wilson is represented by Klutch Sports Group. Wilson signed with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

in May 2018. Six years later in May 2024, Wilson and Nike announced that she would be the 13th player in WNBA history to design and release a signature sneaker, the A'One. In October 2018, Wilson signed an endorsement deal with

Mountain Dew Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries and colloquially known as Dew in some areas, is a soft drink brand owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage Bottler (company), bottlers Barney and A ...

, the first female basketball player sign with the brand. During the 2020 Wubble season, Wilson continued her partnership with Mountain Dew and helped create the "Crossover Salon" to provide haircuts for players and coaches in the WNBA isolation zone. In the summer of 2021 before the

2021 WNBA All-Star Game The 2021 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 14, 2021. The Las Vegas Aces hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the second time. This game was the first since 2000 to be held in the same year as the Summer Olympic Ga ...

, Wilson designed and released a limited-edition Mountain Dew hoodie and durag commemorating her

MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...

award. In April 2021, Wilson started Burnt Wax Candle Company, a luxury candle line. In August 2022, Wilson became the first female athlete to sign a multi-year sponsorship deal with Ruffles and released a signature chip, Smoky BBQ Ruffles Ridge Twists. In May 2024, Wilson signed a multi-year endorsement deal with

Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. The drink is owned and manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was develope ...

and was featured in the company's "IT Hasn't Changed" ad campaign, a revival of its late 1990s "Is It In You?" campaign.

In popular culture

In 2019, Wilson played for the "Home" roster during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. The roster was made up of celebrities with Carolina roots. In December 2020, Wilson was named to

Forbes 30 Under 30 ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 is a set of lists published annually by ''Forbes'' magazine since 2011 consisting of 30 notable people under 30 years old in various industries. The American list consists of 600 people, with 30 selected in each of 20 sect ...

alongside fellow WNBA players, Natasha Cloud and

Chiney Ogwumike Chinenye Joy "Chiney" Ogwumike (born March 21, 1992) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In 2020, she became the first black woman and th ...

. In April 2024, ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' named Wilson in their 2024 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In July 2024, Wilson was named the co-cover athlete for the All-Star edition (alongside Jayson Tatum) and solo cover athlete for the WNBA edition of

NBA 2K25 ''NBA 2K25'' is a 2024 basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. Based on the National Basketball Association (NBA), it is the 26th installment in the ''NBA 2K'' series and is the successor to '' NBA 2K24'' (2023 ...

, a popular

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

, making Wilson the first WNBA player to be featured on a cover of a global edition of the game. She was named one of ''

TIME Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

’s'' Women of the Year for 2025. When playing basketball, Wilson frequently wears a single sleeve on her left leg, which originally started as a way for her to manage pain from an injury. The single sleeve has been cited as a fashion and sports trend, influencing other basketball players to do the same. In 2024, Wilson began working with Nike to produce a line of leggings specifically designed for the single sleeve.

In the media

In 2020 and 2021, she and

Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team won the WNBA ...

forward,

Napheesa Collier Napheesa Collier ( ; born September 23, 1996), nicknamed "Phee", is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Collier is also a founder of the Unrivaled (basketball le ...

, hosted a podcast about the WNBA, ''Tea with A & Phee'', produced by ''

Just Women's Sports ''Just Women's Sports'' (''JWS'') is an American news website and media company focused on women's sports. It was founded in 2020 by former soccer player Haley Rosen. The company creates content across social, web, and audio platforms, and has ...

''. In February 2024, Wilson published her first book, ''Dear Black Girls'', which became a ''The New York Times'' best seller that same month.

Commentary on racial bias in marketing of female athletes

Days after the announcement of Wilson's signature shoe, the A'One, with

, Wilson, in an interview with the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

, agreed when asked, that white female athletes (including

rookie,

Caitlin Clark Caitlin Elizabeth Clark (born January 22, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Regarded as one of the greatest female collegiate players, Clark was tw ...

) are often perceived as more marketable than black female athletes. She alluded to her own experience of needing incredible success in the WNBA before garnering high-level sponsorship and business deals (such as a signature shoe) as a black woman: " orporationsdon't see eople of coloras marketable, so it doesn't matter how hard I work. It doesn't matter what we all do as black women." Wilson's comments were made in light of recent reports from ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' and ''

The Athletic ''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...

'' that Clark and Nike were in negotiations for an eight-figure endorsement deal, including a signature shoe, effectively making Clark the fifth Caucasian active player in the WNBA (joining

Elena Delle Donne Elena Delle Donne (born September 5, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player for 10 seasons as a member of the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky. Delle Donne played college basketball for the Delaware Blue Hens from 2009 to ...

Diana Taurasi Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for 20 seasons, spending her entire career with the Phoenix Mercury. Taurasi is widely ...

, Sabrina Ionescu, and

Breanna Stewart Breanna Mackenzie Stewart ( ; Born, August 27, 1994), nicknamed "Stewie", is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is one of the most accomplished women in ...

) with a signature shoe. Before this Nike-Clark deal was reported, many fans, reporters, and fellow athletes had been asking for Nike to give Wilson a signature shoe, including Aces' head coach, Becky Hammon, and NBA star,

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...

, given her accolades and exceptional performance in the WNBA and long-standing sponsorship with Nike. On May 14, 2024, during the press conference before her professional debut in the WNBA, Clark was asked by Fox News Digital to respond to Wilson's commentary on Clark's rapid rise in popularity in relation to her race and stated, "I think there reopportunities for every single player in women's basketball ... the more opportunities we can give across the board, that's what's going to elevate women's basketball." She continued and added, "The parity in women's basketball is what's making more people want to come watch it. ... I've had a lot of fun being in the spotlight and helping grow this game and move it forward, and that's what I'm going to continue to do ... the more we can share the love, the better this league's going to be."

Records

WNBA

* All-time leader in 40-point games: 4 * All-time leader in consecutive regular season games with 20+ points: 20 (2024) *All-time leader in consecutive regular season games with 25+ points: 8 (2024) *All-time leader in consecutive regular season games with 20+ points and 8+ rebounds: 18 (2023–24) * All-time leader in most points scored in first 20 games of the regular season: 540 points (2024) * Single-game leader in points: 53 (August 22, 2023 at

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

) * Single-season leader in points: 1,021 (2024)

Las Vegas Aces

* All-time leader in points * All-time leader in rebounds

Awards and honors

WNBA

*2× WNBA Champion (2022, 2023) *4× WNBA All-Star (2018–2024) *

WNBA Rookie of the Year The Women's National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the 1998 WNBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel o ...

(2018) *3× WNBA Most Valuable Player (2020, 2022, 2024) *2× WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2022, 2023) * WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player (2023) *2× Best WNBA Player ESPY Award (

) *

Best Female Athlete ESPY Award The Best Female Athlete ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Outstanding Female Athlete ESPY Award, has been presented annually at the ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) since 1993 to the female voted to be, irrespectiv ...

(

)

College

* NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

) *

Wade Trophy The Wade Trophy is an award presented annually to the best upperclass women's basketball player in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I competition. It is named after three–time national champion Delta State ...

(2018) * John R. Wooden Award (2018) *

Honda Sports Award The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Sports Award are automatically in t ...

(2018) *

Naismith College Player of the Year The Naismith College Player of the Year is "the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's college basketball players of the year," as chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors. It is named in honor o ...

(2018) * AP Player of the Year (2018) * USBWA Player of the Year (2018) * Lisa Leslie Award (2018) *3× Consensus first-team All-American (2016–2018) * Third-team All-American - AP (2014) *3× SEC Player of the Year (2016–2018) *2x SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2016, 2018) *4× First-team All- SEC (2015–2018) *SEC Freshman of the Year (2015) *SEC All-Freshman Team (2015)

High school

*National High School Player of the Year (WBCA, Naismith, Parade) (2014) *McDonald's All-America (2013–14) *Parade All-America (2013–14) *Gatorade South Carolina Girls Basketball Player of the Year (2013–2014)

Notes

References

External links

* * *
A'ja Wilson
at

USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, A'ja 1996 births Living people 21st-century African-American women writers 21st-century African-American writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American sportswomen All-American college women's basketball players Alpha Kappa Alpha members American expatriate basketball people in China American self-help writers American women non-fiction writers American women's basketball players Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Columbia, South Carolina First overall WNBA draft picks Las Vegas Aces draft picks Las Vegas Aces players McDonald's High School All-Americans Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball) People from Hopkins, South Carolina Power forwards South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball players Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year winners Sportspeople with dyslexia United States women's national basketball team players WNBA All-Stars Writers from Columbia, South Carolina American women podcasters American sports podcasters