A'Ja Wilson made NBA All-Star Weekend her victory lap
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson is seven seconds from scoring 1,000 points in a single season and making WNBA history.
Wilson slowly walks up to the top of the key, looking for Aces guard Jackie Young to send her the ball during a September 2024 matchup against the Connecticut Sun. Young dribbles several times at half-court before dumping a bounce pass towards Wilson, who has Sun forward Brionna Jones plastered to her hip.
The two-time WNBA champion pivots without flinching, starting the foot race between her and Jones toward the basket. In her line of sight is also forward DeWanna Bonner, who has come over to help Jones.
But it was too late.
Wilson stops on a dime, pulls up and launches her trademark fadeaway mid-range jumper over Jones and Bonner. As Wilson skips back down the court with a smile after metaphorically ripping out history book pages, Michelob Ultra Arena erupts. Wilson's Aces teammates go wild on the bench, cheering and jumping for joy.
Point number 1,000 for A'ja Wilson. 👏
The only player to ever score 1k in a single WNBA szn pic.twitter.com/aQhJ2k0zht
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 15, 2024
It's another box checked off for Wilson, who has been adding accomplishment after accomplishment to her stacked resumé. She earned her third MVP title, a slew of top WNBA honors, attended Paris Fashion Week and had her South Carolina jersey retired all in the last year.
'I think young A'ja would just be very proud, but, at the same time, she wouldn't be satisfied,' Wilson recently told For The Win while promoting a Hennessy Arena 2×2 showcase. 'She would be one sassy girl.'
Wilson's reflection on her life is fitting. Despite what feels like a mountain of accolades, she continues to push the envelope of what's possible. That includes unveiling a Nike signature shoe—the A'One—that's been months in the making, something Wilson admits still feels strange.
'Honestly, I wanted to share my progress, but at the same time, I'm like, 'No, I want to give the people what they want exactly when they need it.''
'So, seeing it on different pages and blogs talking about it, it's just weird and crazy that it is like that,' Wilson explained. 'But, I'm very blessed to be able to have people having a conversation around it, and it's been a whirlwind accepting it … It's been a lot of fun.'
Her shoe reveal was followed by a Nike Super Bowl commercial featuring eight other star athletes challenging expectations.
Appropriately entitled 'So Win,' the ad says the quiet parts out loud: People will say what they want about you, so do it anyway.
'It was low-key kind of breathtaking,' Wilson revealed about seeing the finished product.
'In that moment, I never would of thought I would be a part of a Super Bowl commercial, considering how big Super Bowl commercials are. But to see it alongside Nike and other great athletes—it just goes to show how powerful we are as women in sport.'
Like so many other top athletes, Wilson is pushes the culture of sports forward, and to do that, every move has to be calculated and intentional. Even on a day when she could have easily faded into the background to enjoy the events, Wilson was out, mingling with fans during NBA All-Star Weekend, promoting the WNBA with Hennessy.
'When you're talking about a spirit as as iconic as Hennessy, they're really bridging the bridge between culture and athletes, especially in the W, and I wanted to be a part of something like that.'
But that's just who Wilson is. She purposely moves to the beat of her own drum and seemingly always with a legacy in mind. Wilson says that's how you impact the younger generation, and if she could give them any advice, it would be to be gentle with themselves.
'Give yourself some grace, and what is delayed is not denied,' Wilson said. 'And I say that a lot only because everyone's story, everyone's journey, is going to look different. But you can't harp on anyone else's journey.'
'This world can be crazy at times, but if you find peace within yourself, you'll be just fine.'
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