rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
As one of the top stars in the game today, A’ja Wilson has emerged as a prominent figure in women’s basketball. Ahead of what will be her eighth season in the WNBA, she touched on a major statement made by Caitlin Clark in recent months.
After being named Athlete of the Year for 2024 by Time Magazine, Clark sat down with the publication for an interview. Among the topics covered was the narrative regarding race that followed her around her entire rookie season.
Clark did not shy away from speaking about it and even went as far as to say that white players do have privilege. That said, she wants to help showcase the talented black players who have helped build the league.
“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark said. “A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that.”
Along with being named Women of the Year alongside Jordan Chiles, A’ja Wilson also did an interview with Time. The reigning WNBA MVP was asked her thoughts on Clark’s comments from a few months prior. She applauded the Indiana Fever star, calling her message powerful.
“It’s powerful to me. As a Black woman in the WNBA, we have our struggles in showcasing who we really are,” Wilson said. “So when we can have our counterparts speak up, it speaks volumes to me, because they’re in spaces where my path is never supposed to go.”
Wilson continues to shatter barriers and grow her brand in the midst of her already legendary basketball career. In recent weeks, she became the latest female athlete to receive their own signature shoe with Nike.
A’ja Wilson reflects on not completeing three-peat with Las Vegas Aces last season
Last season was very successful for A’ja Wilson from a personal standpoint but fell short from a team standpoint with the Las Vegas Aces. During her recent interview, she opened up on falling short of a three-peat.
From a production standpoint, Wilson was as dominant as ever in 2024. She set a new single-season scoring record and took home MVP honors in the WNBA and Olympics. However, after capturing the title in 2023 and 2024, Vegas couldn’t cement themselves as the second team in WNBA history to three-peat.
Looking back on this, A’ja Wilson admitted it was tough for her at first. However, she seems to have come to grips with the Aces not accomplishing this feat.
“Not getting the three-peat was hard. The regret is the hardest part that I’ve had to deal with in this offseason, because I’m like, “What could I have done differently to get a different outcome?” When in reality, it just wasn’t our time.”
A’ja Wilson and the Aces entered last postseason as the No. 4 seed, where they knocked off the Seattle Storm in round one. In the semifinals, they’d have a rematch from last year’s finals with the New York Liberty.
This would be the end of the road for the Aces, as Breanna Stewart and company were able to win the series in four games. They’d eventually go on to be crowned champions after knocking off the Minnesota Lynx.
Quick Links
More from Sportskeeda
Edited by Kevin McCormick
