A’ja Wilson was without a doubt one of the players of the year. The Las Vegas Aces superstar completed a season full of success culminating in her accomplishment of being named TIME Magazine’s 2025 Athlete of the Year.
This milestone set a new standard of success in the WNBA spectrum, becoming the first player in WNBA or NBA history to: Win a championship, claim the scoring title, and be named Finals MVP, league MVP (her record-breaking fourth), and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
Caitlin Clark becomes ‘Taylor Swift 2.0’ as Coach Stephanie White praises her professionalism
Yet, even at the top of her career, the conversation surrounding the WNBA’s growth often pivoted to another star: Caitlin Clark.
Time to celebrate, but not to forget
As we all know, Caitlin Clark’s 2024 rookie season ignited an unseen interest in WNBA, leading to jaw-dropping television and attendance numbers. However, there was a dark side, where some media narratives seemed to become toxic and racially divisive, creating a gap between a new white star against the league’s established players, predominantly black stars.
According to this situation, Wilson made it clear that the hype did not diminish her focus or her accomplishments:
It wasn’t a hit with me, because I’m going to do me regardless. I’m going to win this MVP. I’ll win a gold medal. Y’all can’t shake my rsum. It was more than we should not lose the recipe. Let’s not lose the history
Wilson’s comments reflected that the explosion of interest around Clark’s arrival kind of “erased for a minute” the background history and foundation built by the women who came before her.
I don’t like that, Because we have tons of women that have been through the grimiest of grimy things to get the league where it is today”
Her claims for a fair compensation
The league’s quick growth driven by the collective talent of players like Wilson and the interest sparked by Clark has brought a new conversation on the table: how the players are compensated and taken care of for the skills they bring to the hardwood.
A’ja Wilson, alongside other experienced leaders like Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier (who has publicly addressed tensions with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert), is poised to be a pivotal and powerful voice in those negotiations:
All of us are going to be at the table. And we’re not moving until we get exactly what we want
Wilson’s historic dominance has not only secured her place among the game’s legends but has also positioned her as the ideal leader in the fight for the league’s collective future, ensuring that the players’ value is properly recognized as the WNBA reaches its new commercial peak.