Dawn Staley hypes up A’ja Wilson’s signature shoe

Las Vegas Aces powerhouse A’ja Wilson is set to make history as the fourth active WNBA player to have her own signature shoe, the Nike A’One, slated for release in 2025. Saturday’s announcement, made in tandem with Wilson’s return to her collegiate stomping grounds at Colonial Life Arena for a WNBA preseason game, was strategically timed by Nike to coincide with the event.

 

Nike enlisted the support of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley to amplify the excitement around the unveiling. Staley, donning a shirt reading “Of Course She Has A Shoe,” playfully addressed the skeptics, emphasizing Wilson’s undeniable prowess.

“Well, y’all just finding out that she has a shoe,” Staley said Saturday. “It’s called the A1 because she’s A1. It’s not only a shoe, it’s a clothing line. A’ja gonna do it big. And sometimes, when you do it big, it takes a little bit longer than we want. So let the best work at what they do so they can produce something super special. A1, we out.”

Wilson’s addition to Nike’s roster of signature athletes, which includes luminaries like Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe and Naomi Osaka, underscores her meteoric rise and influence in the world of sports.

A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces begin their preseason with Saturday’s game against the Puerto Rico National Team.

Aces’ A’ja Wilson joins elite ranks with Nike’s signature shoe

WNBA powerhouse A’ja Wilson is set to join the ranks of basketball legends with her own signature shoe from Nike, alongside luminaries like Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark. The announcement solidifies her status as one of the game’s premier players.

LeBron James hinted at this development on Instagram, signaling Wilson’s impending signature shoe after her team, the Las Vegas Aces, clinched their second consecutive WNBA title in October.

A’ja Wilson expressed her gratitude toward Nike, highlighting the depth of trust and collaboration between her and the brand. Wilson told Andscape’s Aaron Dodson about getting her own shoe:

“The trust that Nike and I have developed with each other, and the hard conversations that we’ve had, has personally been my favorite part of the process. Because those are the things people don’t necessarily see. But it happens — it’s all in the words.”

Placed into an elite fellowship by her achievement in the WNBA, A’ja Wilson is among the few players who have garnered signature shoes in the league’s 28-year history, with only 14 players who have.

Additionally, five of the eight given this privilege are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which shows that this mark of distinction has been associated with the status of fame.

Despite her young age, A’ja Wilson has proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with, having been part of five All-Star games, a WNBA champion twice, a Defensive Player of the Year and twice selected to the All-WNBA teams.

Since she was a 2018 No. 1 overall pick, A’ja Wilson’s crucial contribution to her team was breaking into five playoffs and holding the No. 1 seed in the West six times. The Aces reached a pinnacle in the WNBA league when they beat their record of 34 regular-season wins in 2023.