NEW YORK – Another ring, check. Another title, check. A sold-out signature shoe, check.
Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson had a year that most athletes never manage to achieve.
She achieved individual success again and even propelled her team to the top of the WNBA rankings.
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His celebrity has even reached buzz off the field thanks to his branding and support.
Let’s go back and look back to 2025 – the year of A’ja Wilson.
3-time WNBA champion
In the end, the Wilsons and Aces are only remembered as champions.
But by the middle of the season, they seemed dead in the water.
Through the 22nd game of the WNBA’s longest 44-game regular season, Wilson and the Aces held an 11-11 record after the star posted a 37-point, 10-rebound performance to lift the team to a four-point victory over the rebuilding Dallas Wings.
The Aces, who retooled ahead of the 2025 season by shipping out Kelsey Plum and acquiring Jewell Loyd, were mediocre for most of the year until a late surge propelled them into the WNBA’s top 3.
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Led by the former Gamecock, a 16-game winning streak turned a 14-14 record into a 30-16 mark – a spark that nearly kept the team undefeated for two months. The key midseason addition of NaLyssa Smith (via a trade with the Indiana Fever) can’t be forgotten either.
Wilson was the leading scorer in 12 of 16 games, averaging 26.1 points and 12 rebounds. The No. 2 seed in the playoffs continued its march toward a berth in the WNBA Finals — Wilson’s fourth appearance in eight seasons overall. Ultimately, Wilson and the Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury, 4-0, in the final.
This was Wilson’s third Finals victory and she received her second Finals MVP award as a result.
Wilson, who turns 30 during the next WNBA season (assuming the league and players’ association agree on a new CBA), now has the same number of titles as Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and teammate Jackie Young. These WNBA greats are the only women with more rings than Wilson: Rebekah Brunson (five), Chelsea Gray (four), Cynthia Cooper (four), Tina Thompson (four), Sheryl Swoopes (four), Maya Moore (four), Seimone Augustus (four) and Sue Bird (four).
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Cooper (four), Lisa Leslie (two), Taurasi (two), Sylvia Fowles (two) and Breanna Stewart (two) are the only other multiple-time WNBA Finals MVP winners.
MVP and DPOY
Wilson is the only WNBA player to win Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
WNBA voters gave Wilson both awards after she averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals while missing just four regular season games.
Wilson received 51 first-place votes to beat out Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier (18) and Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas (three).
The race for Defensive Player of the Year was much closer.
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Wilson and Lynx forward Alanna Smith both received 29 first-place votes, earning them co-defensive player of the year honors.
Smith anchored the Lynx defense for 42 games averaging 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals.
This was the first time the league presented a Co-DPOY award in its 29-year history.
A’One
A’ja Wilson’s year was on full display in WNBA arenas.
Then the dominance continued in sneaker stores nationwide and online stores.
Wilson’s first signature shoe – Nike A’One – sold out within the first few minutes of its launch on the brand’s website last May. The “Pink A’ura” colorway on Nike’s site became available at 10 a.m. ET on May 6, and shoppers were quickly greeted with a “sold out” banner about five minutes later.
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While fans waited for more colorways to become available, pairs of the “Pink A’ura” exceeded retail price on resale markets.
Since then, the “Pink A’ura” colorway has restocked and become readily available for purchase. And at least a dozen different colorways are available for purchase in adult and school sizes on Nike’s website as of press time.
The signature sneaker, retailing for $110 for adults and $90 for school sizes, was first announced in May 2024. Wilson’s signature line also included shirts, hoodies and sleeves that match those the superstar wears on the court.
At the time, the four-time MVP joined Candace Parker (Adidas), Sabrina Ionescu (Nike), Breanna Stewart (Puma), Elena Delle Donne (Nike), Diana Taurasi (Nike), Cynthia Cooper (Nike), Sheryl Swoopes (Nike) and Dawn Staley (Nike) in having a signature shoe.
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Since then, Reebok has released the Angel Reese 1, which has been well received by fans.
Nike officially introduced Caitlin Clark as an iconic athlete on August 25 and released her logo t-shirt a few days later. The brand then launched its clothing collection in October. There is no official release or announcement for a Clark signature shoe.
Time Athlete of the Year
To end 2025, how do we continue to achieve GOAT status?
By being named Time’s 2025 Athlete of the Year.
Not a female athlete of the year award – Time’s athlete of the year.
Wilson earned the honor, presumably beating out a potential legend like Shohei Ohtani and tennis phenoms Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. She is only the second black woman to win the award, joining seven-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles as cover icons for the landmark magazine.
This is a well-deserved honor for the only WNBA/NBA player to ever win an MVP award, DPOY award, WNBA title, Finals MVP award and scoring title.
