The Indiana Fever did not expect to be dismantled by the Las Vegas Aces in the very first playoff game of 2026 after the Fever had won two of three regular-season matchups. But they forgot to account for three-time WNBA champion and reigning MVP A’ja Wilson dropping a monster 38 points to push the Aces to an early lead in this playoff series with a 102-85 win. As the Michelob ULTRA Arena roared in support of Wilson and the Aces, Nike wasted no time congratulating the 30-year-old.
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As A’ja Wilson led her team past a formidable Fever squad, espnW put up a post on Instagram in celebration of Wilson’s offensive performance. Nike, which has worked with Wilson for years now, ran to the comment section to drop an encouraging comment for their athlete, hyping up the four-time WNBA MVP with an eight-word reaction.
“The A’ja Wilson Show is must-see TV,” Nike commented under espnW’s post.
The Fever-Aces game truly was the A’ja Wilson show, as she led the game in points, rebounds, and blocks. Wilson grabbed an insane 16 boards while also making four blocks over her 35 minutes of play. Wilson was very accurate in her scoring as well. She made 15-of-19 shots from the field, recording an incredible 78.9% accuracy. She also made both the three-pointers she attempted, emerging as the most dominant presence on the court, controlling both sides of the hardwood. After all of this, Nike’s comment seems valid.
A’ja Wilson has had a long-standing relationship with the international footwear and apparel brand. Wilson signed on as a Nike athlete back in May 2024, with plans to release her first collaboration shoe with the company before the 2025 WNBA season commenced. The shoe was released in 2025 and is called the A’One and features A’ja Wilson’s signature on the heel of the shoe. Her full name is also embossed on the toe tip of the sneakers. This was quickly followed by the release of the A’Two, the second shoe in collaboration with Wilson, in May 2026.
Nike also signed A’ja Wilson to a massive six-year contract extension back in 2024, tying the WNBA superstar to the brand for the foreseeable future. And it’s paying off for Nike, as Wilson is showing no signs of slowing down even after three championships under her belt.
Her performance this season has proved why she is still the league MVP. Wilson has dominated the offense and the defence across the 41 games she has played this season. She is averaging 26.2 points per game, her second-highest since 2024 (26.9 PPG).
Her shooting efficiency is also incredible, at 52.7% from the field, the highest it’s been since 2023 (55.7%). Wilson is also grabbing an average of 9.4 rebounds per game. She leads the Aces in points, rebounds, and blocks, being the effective floor general that the Aces’ head coach, Becky Hammon, knows she is. She spoke about A’ja Wilson’s performance in the post-game conference after the Fever game.
“She’s ready to go. The demands we put on her throughout the regular season is high. She understands the stakes always. She was a clinic tonight. She was all over the court, everywhere. Defensive end, offensive end, blocks, steals, boards, scoring. I mean, there was nothing she didn’t do tonight,” said Hammon.
Wilson’s performance this season is not limited to the top of the Aces charts, as Wilson has topped league charts too. Her scoring puts her at the top of the season average points per game, followed closely by the Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. She is also fifth on the rebounds leaderboard, while topping the list for blocks per game. Her latest outing against the Fever was assisted by Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, who added 21 and 14 points each. Nothing Indiana did could stop the Aces on the night.
For the Fever, Aliyah Boston led the offense with 18 points, while Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell were held to 15 and 12 points each. The Aces’ defense stifled any hopes for the backcourt duo to log their usual 20+ point performances, holding the Fever to 45% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc.
The Aces will hope to end the series before letting it get to the third game on September 29. But Game 2 will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home arena of Indiana. Clark and Co. will be looking to use this home-court advantage to equalise the series score.