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Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson's newest Nike contract extension puts her into some unchartered territory, most notably seen with Caitlin Clark, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The three-time MVP's new deal puts her alongside New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, USC basketball's JuJu Watkins, and Clark for the most lucrative shoe deal in women's basketball.
The six-year deal includes the launch of Wilson's signature shoe, the “A One,” which will debut in 2025. Not to mention, she is coming off an Olympic Gold Medal and winning her third MVP with the Aces. Although they were eliminated by the eventual champions in the Liberty, she's continuing to make history both on and off the court.
Clark signed a $28 million shoe contract with Nike in April. It's an eight-year deal that includes bonuses and a featured signature shoe. Watkins also agreed to a multiyear contract extension with them in October. Ionescu debuted her second signature shoe, the Sabrina 2's, which has gained popularity in the NBA with Nike this spring.
Aces MVP A'ja Wilson's new Nike contract highlights growing popularity
Even with Clark's presence transforming the WNBA, Wilson made sure that the spotlight was on her, and for the right reasons. As mentioned before, she's a three-time MVP and joins a prestigious club. She joined Lauren Jackson, Sheryl Swoopes, and Lisa Leslie as the only players to ever win the award three times. Not to mention, Wilson is the first unanimous MVP since the league's inception in 1997. In that year, Houston Comets guard Cynthia Cooper took home the trophy.
Although Clark secured her deal before playing a WNBA game, it set the standard for women's basketball stars. Wilson, Ionescu, and Watkins have all benefited greatly from the increased publicity. However, they're all fantastic players and have numerous accolades. Still, Nike is making sure W players receive recognition for their accomplishments on the court.
For the Aces Center, she had a historic year herself. Wilson broke the single-season scoring and rebounding record. In addition to that, she nearly won the Defensive Player of the Year trophy but was defeated by Napheesa Collier. She made the All-Defensive First Team and All-WNBA first team. Her 2024 campaign had accolades that many players would love to have in a career.
In the meantime, the public will have to wait until her signature shoe drops. With Wilson's new Nike contract, it seems there'll be more signature shoes in the future. However, her first one will garner much attention from everywhere on the basketball spectrum.
