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Over the weekend, the WNBA preseason tipped off with a handful of exhibition games. While there were plenty of exciting highlights from the court, one of the biggest storylines took place off the hardwood.
Nike aired the first commercial for Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson’s signature sneaker. The Nike A’One makes its highly anticipated launch tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the advertisement drove up hype thanks to its authentic and artistic style. After the video went viral among hoopers and sneakerheads online, the world learned that Malia Obama was credited as one of the directors for the ad.
Nike’s commercial for A’ja Wilson’s signature ‘Nike A’One’ shoe—directed by Malia Obama.pic.twitter.com/m80kC2GyQq
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 4, 2025
Behind-the-scenes pictures and videos from the team working on the commercial shows Obama holding a camera in one hand while offering instructions to Wilson and a young actor.
In addition to making us all feel really old, it is cool to see former President Barack Obama’s oldest daughter carving her own lane in the entertainment industry (especially when it overlaps with the sneaker world).
Obama has been credited as a director for the primary commercial but appears to have been the principal director for the minute-long vignette, which took a far more artsy approach while maintaining essential elements of the overall marketing campaign.
FUN FACT: Malia Obama was one of the directors on @_ajawilson22’s latest Nike ad 👏 https://t.co/dbEiFdkA9Z pic.twitter.com/3U4RcsHH3y
— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) May 4, 2025
Nike is just starting the rollout of Wilson’s debut basketball shoe, so fans can expect more viral videos and exciting developments along the way for the Nike A’One.
In the meantime, the Nike A’One officially launches in the “Pink A’ura” colorway for $110 at 10:00 a.m. EST tomorrow, May 6, on the Nike SNKRS app. Online shoppers can expect the sneakers to sell out quickly online.
With the WNBA regular season quickly approaching, sneakerheads can count on more heat from Wilson and Nike. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated’s Kicks On SI for all your most important footwear news.
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