The Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces are less than 24 hours away from renewing one of the WNBA’s most intriguing playoff battles. But before the two teams lock horns in the first round, A’ja Wilson has opened up about a part of her season that has largely stayed away from the spotlight.
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The four-time MVP has been one of the most dominant players in the league once again, but maintaining that level has required more from Wilson than what has shown up on the stat sheet. And ahead of the Aces’ playoff opener, she revealed just how much she had to step away from it all to get herself into the right space, per an X post by Natalie Esquire.
“I feel like this is probably the most disconnected from the outside world I’ve probably been throughout my whole career, and it kind of hurts me because I feel like I like to hang with my fans. I like to kick it with them,” she said during a recent practice media availability. “But I really just kind of separated myself from that because mentally I wasn’t in a really good space, and I think that break was bigger than the FIBA break or whatever physical break I can ever take.”
“So, I think that has been the difference throughout my career. Just kind of stepping away from that light and just really honing in on what I need to do and showing up for these women every single day.”
The 2026 WNBA season has demanded a lot from A’ja Wilson. After leading her team to the championship last year, she has continued to produce at an elite level. She is carrying a massive offensive and defensive workload for Las Vegas, averaging 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 blocks across 41 regular-season games. Her production has kept her firmly in the MVP conversation, leading the Aces in points, rebounds, and blocks.
But the physical side of that workload eventually caught up with her, too. Wilson dealt with a recurring back issue late in the regular season and had to manage her health as the grind continued.
That also played a role in her decision to withdraw from Team USA’s FIBA Women’s World Cup campaign. So while the decision was made with her long-term health in mind, it brought plenty of criticism as Team USA could have used her MVP-calibre skills.
Former ESPN host Linda Cohn even suggested that Wilson may not have wanted to be part of the “Caitlin Clark show.” For the 30-year-old, though, dealing with that noise meant creating even more distance between herself and the outside world.
“I kind of just put the phone away. Social media is not real. And I hate that because I sometimes feel like I rob my supporters of me. But sometimes you got to put that phone up and live outside of that … I’ve kind of dissociated myself, and I do miss it a little bit,” Wilson said back on September 20.
That separation appears to have given A’ja Wilson the space she felt she needed because when asked recently whether she believes she is now in a better mental space, her answer was immediate.
“Absolutely, absolutely. I got my parents here. They’re my world. I got my puppies. So, yeah, I’m definitely in a better space,” she added.
And now, that renewed sense of balance will be put to the test in less than a day.
The Aces will open their best-of-three first-round series against the No. 6-seeded Fever, with Indiana arriving after already beating Las Vegas twice during the regular season. A’ja Wilson will once again be at the center of Las Vegas’ title hopes, while the Fever will look to repeat the success they had against the Aces earlier this season.
The focus shifts back to the court now, as the Aces chase another championship to make history with back-to-back titles.