The past 2025 WNBA season has solidified A’ja Wilson among the greatest players of all time. So much so that her resume is enough to put her against the likes of Diana Taurasi, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Lisa Leslie. Some would even argue pitting her greatness alongside Michael Jordan. That is something Wilson could’ve never predicted as a child, and even to this day, is something she struggles with accepting.
In just eight seasons, A’ja Wilson has put together one of the greatest WNBA careers of all time. She is a four-time MVP, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, three-time WNBA champion and two-time WNBA Finals MVP. That resume is enough to put her in GOAT conversations.
Although she is aware of her greatness, she remains extremely humble.
“It’s mind-blowing to think that my name could even be in those conversations,” Wilson said on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
As great as Wilson is, many would assume basketball has always been imperative in her life. Yet, that’s far from the case. The truth is, Wilson hated everything about sports for one specific reason.
“As a young girl, I hated to sweat, and I didn’t like the sport,” Wilson revealed. “I hated to sweat. It was just not my thing. Now it pays my bills, so I love it.”
Basketball doesn’t just pay Wilson in form of her WNBA salary. The seven-time All-Star’s endorsement deal with Nike is one of the most lucrative for any female athlete. She is one of two WNBA stars to have a signature sneaker with the famous shoe brand (the other being Sabrina Ionescu).
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Wilson will be the first to say she has a long way to go before she is deserving of GOAT recognition. However, she was able to achieve something last season that even Michael Jordan couldn’t do in his NBA career.
The Las Vegas Aces star will always be able to say she won MVP, DPOY, FMVP and a championship in the same season. That is rarefied air, indeed.
It’s even crazier that Wilson is only 29 years old. She still has plenty of years ahead of her. By the time she steps away from basketball, it may not even be a debate about her being the best WNBA player of all time.
