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Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, named Time Magazine’s 2025 Athlete of the Year, has said that years of foundational work in the WNBA felt wiped clean during Caitlin Clark’s rookie season
A’ja Wilson is proud to see the legacy of the WNBA being shaped by both past and present stars, especially during a time when Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise seemed to suggest that the Iowa standout single-handedly drove league revenue and popularity.
Wilson challenged the notion that Clark — whose teammate, Sophie Cunningham, has addressed her $2 million Project B move in only way she could — was the sole catalyst for the league’s significant value after her 2024 debut. The Las Vegas Aces star had already etched one of the most impressive careers in contemporary basketball before Clark even stepped onto a professional court.
Joining the league as the No. 1 pick in 2018, Wilson has delivered multiple MVP seasons, propelled Las Vegas to WNBA championship glory, and emerged as the face of an expansion franchise on the brink of dynasty status.
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However, the reigning MVP expressed that the narrative following Clark’s arrival felt like years of foundational work were suddenly erased — a sentiment she attributed more to Clark’s fanbase than Clark herself.
Wilson shared these thoughts with Time Magazine after being honored as the 2025 Athlete of the Year, an accolade Clark had secured just a year prior.
The recognition followed a landmark year for Wilson, which saw her clinch the league MVP award, the WNBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal in Paris, where she was also named tournament MVP.
Clark’s rookie year did indeed boost ratings and attendance, helping the league reach significant visibility milestones. While Wilson didn’t take issue with these facts, she was irked by the growing assertion that Clark single-handedly saved the WNBA.
“It wasn’t a hit at me, because I’m going to do me regardless,” Wilson declared. “I’m going to win this MVP, I’ll win a gold medal, y’all can’t shake my resume.
“It was more so, let’s not lose the recipe. Let’s not lose the history. It was erased for a minute. And I don’t like that. Because we have tons of women that have been through the grimiest of grimy things to get the league where it is today.”
Wilson also challenged the misleading story that Clark’s emergence happened in isolation from a fresh generation of rising stars. Angel Reese, Sonia Cintron, Kamila Cardoso, and subsequently Paige Bueckers all contributed to a wave of renewed interest that collectively transformed the sport.
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For Wilson, this underscored how players across the league “continue to rise to the occasion,” proving that increased visibility was the key ingredient needed for the WNBA’s athletes to shine. “We have been invested in each other and our craft for a very long time,” she noted.
“It was just like, they’re going to pay attention.”
Despite Clark sitting out much of the season and the WNBA playoffs with injuries, viewership figures kept climbing. ESPN’s regular-season and postseason ratings increased by five to six percent per game.
The Fever standout has consistently stated she doesn’t claim responsibility for rescuing the league, instead praising Wilson, Diana Taurasi, Tamika Catchings, Candace Parker, and the pioneers who established the WNBA long before she entered the scene.
