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A'ja Wilson shared an emotional tribute to two of her coaches, Dawn Staley and Becky Hammon. The Hall of Fame players-turned-coaches have been vital in Wilson's development as a player in college and in the WNBA. They laced up their player's Nike A'One sneakers during the Las Vegas Aces' preseason game against the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday.
In a post on Threads, Wilson dropped a heartwarming message after receiving support from Staley and Hammon. The South Carolina Gamecocks coach attended the preseason game wearing A'One "Blue Fury" while Hammon was on the Aces bench rocking the A'One "Pink A'ura."
"This picture here..almost made ya girl cry! lol These two women have instilled so much power in me I’m forever grateful fr! (I just know coaching me and my crazy ass teammates is/was A LOT)," Wilson wrote.
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Dawn Staley was the coach of the University of South Carolina when they won their first-ever NCAA championship in 2017. A'ja Wilson was her best player, and their contribution to that title and the influence they had led to separate statues in Columbus.
Wilson's No. 22 jersey was retired last February, completing her legacy for the Gamecocks. She was drafted first overall by the Las Vegas Aces in 2018, with Becky Hammon taking charge in 2022. Hammon guided Wilson and the Aces to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
May 6 was a special day for Wilson because it was the official launch of his A'One sneakers, which quickly sold out on Nike's online store. The "Pink A'ura" and "Blue Fury" were the first colorways released, with "White" scheduled for May 15. Two more colorways, "Hyper Pink" and "Beta Blue," are set to be available this summer.
A'ja Wilson grateful for having her signature shoe
There's no denying that A'ja Wilson is the best women's basketball player in the world today. However, it took her three MVPs and two championships to get her first signature shoe.
Despite the delay, Wilson feels grateful to finally sign with Nike and make it available for her fans.
"It’s time for people to have a shoe and see a shoe from someone like me," Wilson told The New York Times. "Considering it hasn’t been done in a long, long time and it comes from a Black female athlete in this world. I’m grateful."
Other Nike athletes in the WNBA are Sabrina Ionescu, who has had two signature shoes since 2023, and Caitlin Clark, who will likely get one next year.
