PHOENIX – Prior the start of the 2024 WNBA season, Nike cause a bit of an uproar among fans when it was announced that incoming rookie sensation Caitlin Clark would have her own signature shoe. The uproar was due to Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson, who is signed to Nike, not having her own shoe yet despite being arguably the best player in the league.
But it was ultimately revealed that A'ja Wilson would have her own signature shoe from Nike and that the process had already been in the works for quite some time. Wilson and Nike had kept it under wraps, intending to reveal the news ahead of Wilson's South Carolina homecoming for a preseason game between the Aces and the Puerto Rican national team.
During a media availability session over WNBA All-Star Weekend, Wilson explained the significance and importance of the shoe and how she wants people to feel when wearing them.
“When it comes to my shoe and seeing this next wave, the next generation of young kids and people that can wear my shoe, it's been incredible. It's actually crazy that I'm actually talking about it because I've had to keep it a secret for so long,” Wilson said. “But it's going to be something that's so big and I hope that when people wear the shoe, when they see the shoe or get the shoe, they understand how much really went into it, that I played a part in.
“A lot of conversations that had to be had, a lot of work, a lot of different things that I wanted to put in my shoe, a lot of easter eggs and hints. So when they wear the shoe, I hope they know that it's top-tier and I hope they get buckets in them. Or just look cute.”
A'ja Wilson enjoying MVP caliber season for Aces
The WNBA is currently on hiatus until mid-August due to the Olympics, but one of the biggest storylines from the first half of the season is A'ja Wilson's MVP campaign. The Aces have surged into a top seed in the league following a slow start and Wilson has been a major reason why.
Wilson was recently named to her sixth career WNBA All-Star appearance and her fourth consecutive selection. She will also represent Team USA at the Olympics in the coming weeks. Wilson already has two WNBA MVP Awards to her name, with a third looming on the horizon.
Wilson has appeared in all 24 games for the Aces so far at a little over 34 minutes per game. She's been averaging a career-high 27.2 points to go along with 12.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.9 blocked shots. Her rebounds, steals and blocks are all career-highs as well. She's shooting 52.2 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from the three-point line and 87.2 percent from the free-throw line.
The Aces are currently 16-8 and in fifth place in the WNBA standings. However, they are only half a game back of both the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm who are both 17-8.
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