A’ja Wilson is i’nevitable.
Following a historic championship season, the WNBA All-Star was named the Related Press Feminine Athlete of the 12 months on Wednesday. It’s the most recent accolade acknowledging Wilson’s unprecedented yr that noticed her named the league’s most beneficial participant for a file fourth time, in addition to co-defensive participant of the yr and finals MVP.
“It’s an honor when you consider the group of girls who’ve gained earlier than,” Wilson stated to the AP. “Simply to have my identify be part of it, I’m blessed.”
The Las Vegas Aces ahead, who led her group to its third championship in 4 years, is simply the fifth basketball participant to be acknowledged for the award following Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995), Candace Parker (2008, 2021) and Caitlin Clark (2024).
Wilson is the primary participant in WNBA or NBA historical past to win the championship; be named Finals MVP, league MVP and DPOY; and declare the scoring title in the identical season. In June, she additionally turned the quickest participant to ever attain the 5,000-point milestone within the league.
To rejoice gathering an array of on-court achievements this season, Wilson donned a duplicate of Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet throughout the Aces’ victory parade in October. Beneath every of the golden glove’s six Infinity Stones — which took the enduring Marvel Cinematic Universe villain a complete 23-film saga to gather and unleash — Wilson reportedly wrote down a special season honor.
“Once you’ve collected the whole lot, that’s Thanos,” Wilson stated to Time, which named her the outlet’s Athlete of the 12 months on Tuesday. “And this yr, I collected the whole lot. I don’t actually discuss a lot [s—]. … I form of let my sport do it. This was my largest second of doing it, as a result of nobody’s ever carried out what I’ve carried out. And I believe individuals actually wanted to know that.”
It seems Wilson might want to procure one other gauntlet simply to commemorate her quite a few accomplishments off of the basketball court docket as effectively. In February, the previous Gamecock standout noticed her alma mater South Carolina grasp her school jersey within the rafters. In Could, the two-time Olympic gold medalist noticed the primary batch of her Nike signature shoe promote out in a day. The bestselling writer was additionally not too long ago revealed as a member of the 2026 Met Gala’s host committee.
Along with being the WNBA’s solely four-time MVP and a three-time champion, Wilson is a two-time Finals MVP, a three-time DPOY and a seven-time All Star. And she or he’s simply getting began.
“I’m simply going to proceed to show why I’m one of many biggest and why my group is a part of a dynamic dynasty,” Wilson informed the AP.
