WNBA star A’ja Wilson named Time magazine athlete of the year

A’ja Wilson, the star center for the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, was selected as Time magazine’s 2025 athlete of the year.

Wilson, 29, who was the Aces’ No. 1 draft pick (and first overall) in the 2018 WNBA draft out of South Carolina, put together a strong season with dominating statistics during 2025.

The four-time MVP (2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025) and three-time WNBA champion was also named The Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-4 star became the first player in either the WNBA or NBA to win a championship, Finals MVP, league MVP and defensive player of the year honors in the same season. She was also the WNBA’s leading scorer and became the fastest player in league history to score at least 5,000 career points.

Wilson is also one of only four players -- and the only one in the WNBA -- to win four MVP trophies before turning 30. The others are Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and current Lakers standout LeBron James.

The Aces got off to a slow start last season, but a 16-game winning streak ultimately propelled the team to victory in the league’s first best-of-seven final round. Las Vegas swept Phoenix to claim the franchise’s third WNBA title.

“The things (Wilson has) done on the court have never been done. To me, she’s in a category all her own,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “People always ask who’s on your Mount Rushmore? I’m saying she’s on Everest — there’s nobody up there with her.”

Wilson averaged 23.4 points and 2.3 blocks per game to lead the league.

In college, she led South Carolina to its first women’s national championship in 2017 as she was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player.

“She’s a culture shifter,” actress Gabrielle Union told Time. “She forces the world to take notice without scandal or gimmicks, just excellence without trying to be perfect.”

James told the magazine that Wilson made an impression on his 11-year-old daughter.

“I realized her greatest impact isn’t what I see, it’s what Zhuri sees,” James said. “A’ja Wilson is the definition of female Black excellence, and I am so grateful she is giving my daughter the kind of inspiration I got from Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey Jr.”

Through it all, Wilson has not been fazed by any criticism thrown her way. She embraces it.

“The way they talk about us, the way they talk about me, I’m ready for that, I’m ready for the noise,” Wilson said. “It’s always going to be something. If we sit here and try to please everybody, we’re going to go insane.

“I’m just going to continue to prove why I’m one of the greatest and why my team is part of a dynamic dynasty.”

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