A'ja Wilson

Wilson grew up in Hopkins, South Carolina, and attended Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia. She began playing basketball at age 11, with her father, Roscoe C. Wilson Jr., serving as her coach. Roscoe had played college basketball at Benedict College and professionally in Europe, while her mother, Eva Rakes Wilson, worked as a court reporter. Wilson has an older brother named Renaldo.

As a high-school senior, Wilson averaged about 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks per game while leading Heathwood Hall to a state championship. She was named the national Player of the Year by Parade magazine and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, as well as South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and Naismith Player of the Year. She was also rated the nation’s top prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100.

Wilson played for Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks from 2014 to 2018. Across her college career, she helped South Carolina win the 2017 NCAA championship, compile a 129-16 record, claim three SEC regular-season titles, and win four SEC Tournament crowns. She was a four-time All-American and received every major national Player of the Year award in 2018.

The Las Vegas Aces selected Wilson first overall in the 2018 WNBA draft. She averaged 20.7 points and 8 rebounds per game in her debut season and won Rookie of the Year.

Wilson won her first WNBA MVP award in 2020 and earned a second in 2022, when she led the Aces to their first league championship. Las Vegas repeated as champion in 2023, with Wilson receiving Finals MVP honors. She also won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023.

In 2024, Wilson became the unanimous WNBA MVP and set the league record for single-season scoring average with 26.9 points per game. She also became the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in one season. In 2025, she led the league in scoring at 23.4 points per game and blocks at 2.3 per game, won a fourth MVP award, and helped the Aces capture another championship. Her four MVP awards came in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

Nike announced in May 2024 that it was developing Wilson’s signature shoe, the A’One. The agreement had been signed in 2023 but was not publicly announced until the following year.

The announcement came shortly after Nike said it was developing a signature shoe for WNBA player Caitlin Clark. Because signature shoe deals for WNBA players are uncommon, the timing prompted public questions about the treatment of established Black stars in relation to a highly promoted rookie.

When the A’One debuted in hot pink in May 2025, Wilson emphasized the significance of becoming the first Black WNBA athlete to receive a signature shoe since Candace Parker in 2011.

Wilson has been a regular member of the United States national women’s basketball program. She won gold medals at the 2013 and 2015 FIBA U19 World Cups, the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, the 2018 and 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cups, and the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.

At the 2015 FIBA U19 World Cup, Wilson was named tournament MVP after scoring a USA U19 single-game record 30 points in the gold-medal game. She was also named MVP of the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Wilson led the United States in points and rebounds while averaging 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. In the gold-medal game against France, she scored 21 points, collected 13 rebounds, and blocked four shots in a 67-66 victory. She was named tournament MVP as the United States won its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal.