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A'ja Wilson

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Professional Basketball Player

Three-time WNBA MVP and cornerstone of the Las Vegas Aces dynasty.

Essentials

Full name
A'ja Wilson
Years active
2018–present
Position
Center
Jersey number
22
Nationality
American
Hometown
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
College
South Carolina (2014–2018)
Agent
{{agent name}}

my story

A'ja Wilson grew up in Hopkins, South Carolina, four blocks from the Governor's Mansion, in a state that her grandmother couldn't fully navigate as a child. During segregation, her grandmother Hattie was not allowed to walk on the grounds of the University of South Carolina. When Wilson's bronze statue was unveiled outside Colonial Life Arena on Martin Luther King Day 2021, she stood at the podium in tears and said, “If only she was here today to see that the same grounds she had to walk around, it now is the same grounds that houses a statue of her granddaughter.”

Wilson didn't even like basketball at first and was considered the worst player in her AAU program as a kid. Then something clicked, and she became one of the most dominant players the women's game has ever produced. She was the number one recruit in the country, stayed home to play for legendary player and coach Dawn Staley at South Carolina, won the national championship in 2017 as a junior, and swept every national Player of the Year award as a senior. The Las Vegas Aces took her first overall in the 2018 WNBA draft and have never looked back. Four MVPs. Three championships. Two Olympic gold medals. The first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a single season. The first to win MVP, Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and the scoring title in the same season. Her coach Becky Hammon said it best: "There is no Mount Rushmore. You are Everest."

Off the court she has launched a candle company, and been an advocate for equal opportunities, writing a book called Dear Black Girls. She has established a foundation focused on bullying prevention and dyslexia awareness, and become one of the most important voices in women's sports. Her signature shoe from Nike, the A’One, sold out five minutes after it was launched. Before she turned 30, she was already in the conversation for the greatest of all time.

Timeline

11 milestones

2018

First overall pick launches Aces era

Reuters and ESPN confirm Wilson’s 2018 entry into the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick.

2018

Selected first overall in the WNBA Draft by the Las Vegas Aces

2020

Wins her first WNBA Most Valuable Player Award

2021

Wins Olympic gold with the United States

2022

Leads the Las Vegas Aces to the first WNBA championship in franchise history and is named WNBA Finals MVP

2023

Wins a second WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces

2024

Wins Olympic gold with the United States

2024

Becomes the first player in WNBA history to score more than 1,000 points in a single season

2024

Wins her third WNBA Most Valuable Player Award and leads the league in scoring, rebounding, and blocks

2024

Historic Olympic gold in Paris

AP and Reuters both documented Wilson’s decisive role in Team USA’s gold-medal victory over France.

2025

Wins her third WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces"

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Awards/Honors

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

2017NCAA Champion, NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, SEC Player of the Year
2018Naismith College Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, Lisa Leslie Award
2018NCAA Champion- University of South Carolina, NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
2018WNBA No. 1 Overall Draft Pick, WNBA Rookie of the Year, WNBA All-Star, All-WNBA First Team
2020Olympic Gold Medal, WNBA MVP,
2022WNBA Champion, WNBA MVP, WNBA Defensive POY
2024Olympic Gold Medal
2024WNBA Champion, WNBA MVP, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Finals MVP, All-WNBA First Team
2025WNBA Champion

LEGACY

2021South Carolina Jersey No. 22 Retired
2024Became the first player in WNBA history to record a 1,000-point season
2025Statue unveiled at the University of South Carolina

Media

1/5
Media

Media

2017 Wins the NCAA championship with the University of South Carolina and is named National Player of the Year

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A'ja Wilson's Collection

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Image credits by appearance:Getty Images