A’ja Wilson has always admitted she “wears her emotions on her sleeve.” That openness has drawn criticism, including during the 2024 Paris Olympics when an official told her to “get [her] emotions in check.” Managing those feelings through a demanding WNBA season, especially under scrutiny after losses in the first half of the season, hasn’t been easy. However, the support from her teammates managed to get her through.

Wilson recently claimed her fourth WNBA MVP, becoming the first player in league history to reach the milestone. At the celebratory press conference, she was reminded of her 2025 Media Day remarks about playing with “a lot of poise and calm.” Asked how difficult it was to keep her emotions in check, Wilson admitted it wasn’t easy: “It was tough because I see things. I read things. I see what people are writing about my team. I see when people are asking me, ‘what’s the problem,’ or ‘you’re the problem, what’s the issue?’”

Leagues like the W are never going to be easy, as the margin of error is less. A veteran like Wilson knows she had to stay composed not just for herself, but for her teammates. “I had it in my locker room,” she said. “I knew it was just a matter of time for us to click and make it work.” While holding back her emotions could be challenging, having her teammates around made it far easier to manage and stay grounded.

“People said this was a down year for me. People literally was talking crazy. The think pieces are incredible to even read, and actually comical to read as well. But we stuck it out. We leaned on each other and, now we’re here as a two-seed, playing in the semi-finals,” said Wilson. “And so, it’s hard, but at the end of the day, you got to continue to show up for one another, and that’s what the Aces do.”

Being one of the most popular WNBA players, A’ja Wilson is often placed under a microscope. The focus would have been more on her this year since, for much of the season, the Las Vegas Aces were far from being considered to be in a championship-contending position. The doubts reached their peak after a crushing 111-58 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Lynx on August 2. Fortunately, while that blowout dropped the Aces to an even 14-14 record, the team didn’t lose another regular-season game after that.

Becky Hammon knows the role that A’ja Wilson has to play as a leader. During a recent conversation with Malika Andrews, the Aces head coach revealed that “She is the first one to get, you know, the bun cake for somebody’s birthday. First one to go and get the balloons. The first one to, you know, dress up everybody’s locker room when they have something special going around”. Therefore, it’s no wonder that, when the emotions get the better of her, she knows she can rely on her teammates, and vice versa, to be there.

There are times when you cannot let your emotions get the better of you. However, when you see your hard work and effort bear fruit, one can definitely ‘wear their emotions on their sleeves’. A’ja Wilson recently did just that.

A’ja Wilson Broke Down Into Happy Tears After Bam Adebayo And Teammates Marked an MVP Achievement

Despite A’ja Wilson making it to the list of finalists for the 2025 MVP, the race was still considered quite close between her and the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier. That is, until the votes were tallied. According to reports, A’ja Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes, along with 21 second-place votes (657 points). Meanwhile, Napheesa Collier accumulated only 534 points.

After the announcement of the 2025 WNBA MVP winner, the official X handle of the WNBA shared a video highlighting the moment when the Aces star first got the news. The Aces squad was in the middle of receiving instructions as a practice session was underway. As the coach concluded things from her end, NBA star and A’ja Wilson’s rumored boyfriend, Bam Adebayo, walked onto the basketball court, along with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

As the reality set in, Wilson’s teammates surrounded her and kept on cheering as the woman-of-the-hour kneeled on the floor. As Wilson got back up, tears had begun appearing on her face. When Adebayo presented her the award, someone else had to provide Wilson a tissue as well.

“It’s not going to hit me until the end of the season, honestly; it is truly a blessing to be where I am. I don’t think I could ever put into words how special this moment is. My name is in the history books forever,” said Wilson.

Whether it’s happy or sad times, Wilson has the support of her teammates. Whether this crew can work together to secure yet another championship title is something that remains to be seen.