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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

With more and more WNBA stars landing signature sneakers, it was only a matter of time before A’ja Wilson a 3x WNBA MVP, a 2x WNBA champion, and a 2x Olympic gold medalist got hers! Nike has officially unveiled A’ja Wilson’s highly anticipated debut signature sneaker, which is set to drop in May 2025 alongside matching apparel and Calm Slides. Interestingly it doesn’t have her name on it!

The “Pink Aura” launch colorway features personalized touches, including her signature logo with a star inside the “A” and Celtic symbols honoring her parents. With this release, Wilson cements her legacy as one of the game’s most influential stars. The sneakers will go by the name of  A”One” and A’ja went into detail explaining why she decided to keep it that way!

She explained her decision while unveiling the sneakers and said,  “Sometimes as post players, you get the rep of it being a ‘big man shoe.’ I wanted to squash all of that and say, ‘No, this is an A’ja shoe and this is the A’One.’ It’s something that will be great for everyone. I wanted the best of all worlds. This is a shoe that fits me because it’s versatile and does it all.”

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A’ja Wilson wanted her sneaker to break stereotypes, not just be labeled a “big man shoe.” By naming it the A’One, she made sure it represented versatility, inclusivity, and her all-around game.

A’ja Wilson teamed up with Nike designer Ben Nethongkome to create a sneaker that matches her dominant play style prioritizing both performance and comfort which Wilson had made clear from the start. As Nethongkome put it, “She mentioned that ‘comfort is queen.’ That is something that she prioritized. We wanted to make sure that we deliver performance and comfort first.”

The A’One sneaker’s design carries deep personal significance for A’ja Wilson. At the core of the shoe is a pearl motif, inspired by a necklace her grandmother gave her as a child. Wilson recalled the incident with her grandmother, “These pearls are going to make you beautiful no matter what you look like, no matter how you’re growing into your height.” Wilson then proceeded to say why she implemented the design, “When it came to pearls, I just instantly thought of confidence and being your true self. So we kind of wanted to implement that, especially when it came to my shoes, so I can then share my pearls with the world.”

This wasn’t the only big news for A’ja Wilson this week, she had another monumental moment to celebrate. Let’s take a look at that!

A’ja Wilson gets her jersey retired!

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Is A’ja Wilson's sneaker a game-changer for women's sports, or just another marketing move?

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A’ja Wilson’s legendary status at South Carolina just reached new heights. On Sunday, her iconic No. 22 jersey was raised to the rafters at Colonial Life Arena, forever cementing her place in Gamecocks history.

USA Today via Reuters

She became the first player to earn four First Team All-American honors and three SEC Player of the Year titles during her time spent with the Gamecocks. She also helped them win their first NCAA tournament. Surrounded by her emotional parents and her head coach Dawn Staley, Wilson expressed her gratitude towards the South Carolina community.

She said, “It’s a privilege to be a Gamecock, to be part of this community, One of the greatest honors of my life was representing the garnet and black every night, Thank you, coach, for seeing the light in me even when I couldn’t see it in myself.” 

From launching her first signature sneaker with Nike to seeing her jersey immortalized at South Carolina, A’ja Wilson just had a week for the history books. With the A’One, she’s breaking barriers and leaving a legacy both on and off the court. According to reports, it’ll be available for $110, go and grab yourself a pair now!

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