A'ja Riyadh Wilson (/ˈeɪʒə/AY-zhə; born August 8, 1996)[1] is an American professionalbasketball player for theLas Vegas Aces of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Wilson’s accomplishments and accolades have resulted in her being widely regarded as the best basketball player of her generation and one of the greatest WNBA players of all time.
Wilson played college basketball at theUniversity of South Carolina and helped lead the Gamecocks to their firstNCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 2017, winning theNCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player award. In 2018, she won a record third straightSEC 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,USBWA,Wooden, andNaismith) as the best player in women's college basketball.
In the2018 WNBA draft, Wilson was drafted first overall by the Las Vegas Aces. She won her firstWNBA MVP with the Aces in 2020, winning again in 2022, 2024, and 2025. In 2022, Wilson helped lead the Aces to their first title infranchise history, a feat she repeated in2023 while earningFinals MVP. On July 7, 2024, in a matchup against theDallas Wings, she became the Aces' all-time leading scorer.[2] In 2025, she led the Aces to a third championship title, becoming the first WNBA or NBA player to win a scoring title, be a champion, Finals MVP, MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.[3]
Internationally, Wilson plays for theUnited States women's national basketball team, with whom she has won two Olympic and two World Cup gold medals.[4]
Wilson was born on August 8, 1996, to Roscoe Jr. and Eva Wilson.[5] She said onNPR'sWait Wait... Don't Tell Me! that she was named for her father's favorite song, "Aja" bySteely Dan.[6] Her middle nameRiyadh came from theSaudi capital, where her maternal aunt was deployed inOperation Desert Storm.[citation needed]
Wilson spent her grade school and high school years as one of the few black students inHeathwood Hall Episcopal School, aprivate school in southernColumbia, South Carolina.[7]
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.[8] 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[7] made her the National High School Player of The Year in 2014, a Parade and McDonald's All-American, and the #1 ratedESPN HoopGurlz prospect in 2014.[9] Wilson committed to play forDawn Staley at theUniversity of South Carolina.
Wilson played in 37 games her freshman year, leading to four single-game freshman records in theSEC and three single-season freshman records in the SEC, and won the SEC Freshman of the year award.[10] 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 theMississippi State Bulldogs in the championship game. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.[11] 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.
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In 2018, Wilson was drafted first overall by theLas Vegas Aces. On May 21, 2018, in her career debut, Wilson scored 14 points along with 10 rebounds in a 101–65 loss to theConnecticut Sun.[12][13] On June 16, 2018, Wilson scored a career-high of 35 points along with 13 rebounds in a 101–92 overtime victory against theIndiana Fever, becoming the second rookie in league history to score 35 points and grab 10 rebounds.[14] Wilson would be voted into the2018 WNBA All-Star Game. 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 theIndiana Fever.[15] 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 theChicago Sky 93–92 in a thriller game, where teammateDearica 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 theWashington Mystics, who would go on to win the 2019 WNBA championship.
In the2020 season, the Aces were championship contenders. The season was delayed and shortened to 22 games in a bubble atIMG Academy due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. With her all-star teammateLiz Cambage 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 theConnecticut Sun 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 loadedSeattle Storm 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 firstDefensive Player of the Year award, averaging 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while leading the league with 17 double-doubles.[16] 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.[17][18]
On June 30, 2023, Wilson signed a contract extension with the Aces to keep herself in Las Vegas.[19]
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.[20]
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.[21] She did, however, repeat as Defensive Player of the year in 2023.[22]
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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.[23] 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.[24]
On June 5, 2024, in the match-up against theDallas Wings, Wilson became the first player to have at least 35+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ steals in a single game in WNBA history.[25] On September 11, Wilson set the single-season scoring record against theIndiana Fever.[26]
On August 10, 2025, in a 94-86 win over the Connecticut Sun, Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to record 30+ points and 20 rebounds in the same game.[27] On August 23, 2025, with 36 points in a win over theWashington Mystics, she became the first player in WNBA history to record multiple seasons in which she scored 30 or more points at least 10 times.[28]
Wilson was named 2025 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in her career, sharing the award withAlanna Smith.[29]
On September 21, 2025, Wilson was announced as league MVP, becoming the first player in WNBA history to earn the award four times.[30]
On October 10, 2025, Wilson and theLas Vegas Aces won the WNBA Championship, beating thePhoenix Mercury 4-0 in the series, winning her third championship in four years and second WNBA Finals MVP award.[31][32] She is the only player in the WNBA or NBA to ever win the scoring title, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in the same season.[33]
In August 2018, Wilson signed with theShaanxi Red Wolves of theWomen's Chinese Basketball Association for the 2018–19 off-season.[34]
In late March 2020, theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government postponed the2020 Summer Olympics until the summer of 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[35] On June 21, 2021, Wilson was named to the 12-playerroster forTeam USA for the2020 summer Olympics.[36] She and Team USA went on to win the gold medal in the tournament, defeatingJapan 90–75 in the final.[37] At the conclusion of the tournament, Wilson was named toFIBA's All-Star Five team.[38]
In June 2024, Wilson was again named to theUS women's Olympic team to compete at the2024 Summer Olympics inFrance, alongside fellow Aces teammates,Chelsea Gray,Kelsey Plum, andJackie Young.[39] Wilson led the United States with a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds to defeatFrance 67–66[40] in thefinal, earning Wilson her second consecutive gold medal and the United States' eighth consecutive gold medal.[41] Wilson was named theMVP of the tournament after leading Team USA in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goals made, free throws made, and efficiency.[42][43] She was also named toFIBA's All-Star Five team.[44]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | FG% | Field goal percentage |
| 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage | RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game |
| SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | TO | Turnovers per game | PPG | Points per game |
| Bold | Career high | Led Division I | ° | Led the league | ‡ | WNBA record |
| † | Denotes season(s) in which Wilson won aWNBA championship |
| * | Denotes season(s) in which Wilson won anNCAA Championship |
Stats current through end of 2024 season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Las Vegas | 33 | 33 | 30.6 | .462 | — | .774 | 8.0 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 20.7 |
| 2019 | Las Vegas | 26 | 25 | 28.4 | .479 | .000 | .792 | 6.4 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 16.5 |
| 2020 | Las Vegas | 22 | 22 | 31.7 | .480 | — | .781 | 8.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.0° | 1.6 | 20.5 |
| 2021 | Las Vegas | 32 | 32 | 31.9 | .444 | 1.000 | .876 | 9.3 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 18.3 |
| 2022† | Las Vegas | 36 | 36 | 30.0 | .501 | .373 | .813 | 9.4 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.9° | 1.7 | 19.5 |
| 2023† | Las Vegas | 40 | 40 | 30.7 | .557 | .310 | .812 | 9.5 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 2.2° | 1.6 | 22.8 |
| 2024 | Las Vegas | 38 | 38 | 34.4 | .518 | .317 | .844 | 11.9 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.6° | 1.3 | 26.9‡ |
| 2025† | Las Vegas | 40 | 40 | 31.2 | .505 | .424 | .855 | 10.2 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 2.3° | 2.2 | 23.4° |
| Career | 8 years, . | 267 | 266 | 31.2 | .498 | .365 | .855 | 9.9 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 21.4 |
| All-Star | 7 | 6 | 19.9 | .523 | .267 | 1.000 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 13.7 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Las Vegas | 5 | 5 | 33.7 | .436 | — | .950 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 2.0° | 1.6 | 13.4 |
| 2020 | Las Vegas | 8 | 8 | 35.4 | .473 | — | .857 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 20.8 |
| 2021 | Las Vegas | 5 | 5 | 32.2 | .435 | — | .654 | 9.2 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 14.2 |
| 2022† | Las Vegas | 10 | 10 | 37.2 | .552 | .143 | .791 | 10.4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 20.3 |
| 2023† | Las Vegas | 9 | 9 | 33.2 | .554° | .500 | .831 | 11.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 23.8 |
| 2024 | Las Vegas | 6 | 6 | 36.5 | .535 | .500 | .750 | 9.7 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 2.5° | 1.3 | 21.3 |
| Career | 6 years, 1 team | 43 | 43 | 34.9 | .512 | .292 | .808 | 9.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 19.7 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | South Carolina | 37 | 1 | 19.8 | .538 | .333 | .662 | 6.6 | 1.0 | .9 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 13.1 |
| 2015–16 | South Carolina | 33 | 32 | 27.1 | .531 | — | .723 | 8.7 | 1.4 | .8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 16.1 |
| 2016–17* | South Carolina | 35 | 35 | 28.4 | .588 | — | .737 | 7.8 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 17.9 |
| 2017–18 | South Carolina | 33 | 29 | 29.4 | .542 | .417 | .732 | 11.8 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 22.6 |
| Career | 138 | 97 | 26.0 | .550 | .375 | .715 | 8.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 17.3 | |
Wilson's mother, Eva Rakes Wilson, worked as a court stenographer for the Richland County School District 1 in Columbia, South Carolina.[49] Wilson's father, Roscoe Wilson Jr., played college basketball atBenedict College and professionally in Europe for 10 seasons.[50] 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).[51]
Wilson majored inmass communications at theUniversity of South Carolina, graduating in May 2018.[52] Wilson established the A'ja Wilson Foundation in 2019 that advocates for preventing bullying and education around dyslexia. She is also a member of theWNBA Social Justice Council.
Wilson is a member ofAlpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[53] She has multiple tattoos, including one for her late grandmother.[54] Wilson is currently in a relationship withMiami Heat power forwardBam Adebayo.[55]
Wilson is represented byKlutch Sports Group.[56]
Wilson signed withNike in May 2018.[57] 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.[58]
In October 2018, Wilson signed an endorsement deal withMountain Dew, the first female basketball player sign with the brand.[59] During the 2020Wubble 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.[60] In the summer of 2021 before the2021 WNBA All-Star Game, Wilson designed and released a limited-edition Mountain Dew hoodie and durag commemorating her2020MVP award.[61][62]
In April 2021, Wilson started Burnt Wax Candle Company, a luxury candle line.[63] In August 2022, Wilson became the first female athlete to sign a multi-year sponsorship deal withRuffles and released a signature chip, Smoky BBQ Ruffles Ridge Twists.[64]
In May 2024, Wilson signed a multi-year endorsement deal withGatorade[65][66] and was featured in the company's "IT Hasn't Changed" ad campaign, a revival of its late 1990s "Is It In You?" campaign.[67][68]
In 2019, Wilson played for the "Home" roster during theNBA All-Star Celebrity Game at theBojangles Coliseum inCharlotte,North Carolina. The roster was made up of celebrities with Carolina roots.[69]
In December 2020, Wilson was named toForbes 30 Under 30 alongside fellow WNBA players,Natasha Cloud andChiney Ogwumike.[7][70][71] In April 2024,Time named Wilson in their 2024 list of the100 most influential people in the world.[72]
In July 2024, Wilson was named the co-cover athlete for the All-Star edition (alongsideJayson Tatum) and solo cover athlete for the WNBA edition ofNBA 2K25, a popularvideo game, making Wilson the first WNBA player to be featured on a cover of a global edition of the game.[73][74]
She was named one ofTIME’s Women of the Year for 2025.[75]
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.[76][77] In 2024, Wilson began working with Nike to produce a line of leggings specifically designed for the single sleeve.[78]
In 2020 and 2021, she andMinnesota Lynx forward,Napheesa Collier, hosted a podcast about the WNBA,Tea with A & Phee, produced byJust Women's Sports.[79]
In February 2024, Wilson published her first book,Dear Black Girls,[80] which became aThe New York Times best seller that same month.[81][82]
Days after the announcement of Wilson's signature shoe, the A'One, withNike,[83] Wilson, in an interview with theAssociated Press, agreed when asked, that white female athletes (includingIndiana Fever rookie,Caitlin Clark) are often perceived as more marketable than black female athletes.[84] 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: "[corporations] don't see [people of color] as marketable, so it doesn't matter how hard I work. It doesn't matter what we all do as black women."[85] Wilson's comments were made in light of recent reports fromThe Wall Street Journal andThe Athletic that Clark and Nike were in negotiations for an eight-figure endorsement deal, including a signature shoe,[86] effectively making Clark the fifth Caucasian active player in the WNBA (joiningElena Delle Donne,Diana Taurasi,Sabrina Ionescu, andBreanna Stewart) with a signature shoe.[87] 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,[88][89][90] given her accolades and exceptional performance in the WNBA and long-standing sponsorship with Nike.[57][91]
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 [are] opportunities 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."[87] 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."[92]
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