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A’ja Wilson has received several accolades in basketball this year, including her fourth league MVP, her third WNBA championship, and WNBA Finals MVP. Her popularity has continued to soar off the court as she was named Time’s Athlete of the Year this week. Wilson reflected on the popularity of the WNBA over the past few years and shared her thoughts on the focus having almost exclusively been put on Caitlin Clark for a time.
A’ja Wilson said the WNBA is popular outside of Caitlin Clark
National interest in women’s basketball exploded during the 2023 NCAA championship, particularly after Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese went viral for their face-off on the court. Both players started playing professionally when they were recruited in the 2024 WNBA draft. The spotlight was largely put on Clark when she joined the Indiana Fever and became one of the best players to watch in the league.
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Although Wilson doesn’t negate the impact that Clark has had on the league, she wants to remind everyone that the WNBA grew in popularity thanks to contributions from other athletes as well.
“It wasn’t a hit at me, because I’m going to do me regardless. I’m going to win this MVP, I’ll win a gold medal, y’all can’t shake my résumé,” Wilson told Time. “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.”
Clark was injured and missed most of the 2025 season. Yet, viewership across ESPN networks still grew by roughly five to six percent per game, according to Complex. To Wilson, this showed the power that the league – and other players – hold on their own.
“Sometimes you need a proof in the pudding,” Wilson said, adding that she does not cheer on Clark’s injury, according to Time. “The biggest thing for us, and why I was so happy, is that we continue to rise to the occasion. This was just a matter of time for us to really bloom and blossom. Because we have been invested in each other and our craft for a very long time. It was just like, ‘They’re going to pay attention.’”
Caitlin Clark admitted to receiving privilege ‘as a white person’ in the WNBA
Time named Clark as its Athlete of the Year in 2024. At the time, she acknowledged privilege tied to her ace despite having earned every accolade due to her work and talent. Clark also noted that the WNBA has largely been built by Black players.
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“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” she previously told Time. “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.”
Clark also called on brands and companies to partner with more Black WNBA players.
“The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important,” she said. “I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
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