Did A'ja Wilson laugh at an Asian reporter's accent? Closer look at viral claim against Aces superstar

A’ja Wilson delivered a superstar outing on Sunday with 31 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks, but her Las Vegas Aces still fell in Game 4 of their WNBA semifinals matchup against the Indiana Fever 90-83, setting up a win-or-go-home Game 5 for a trip to the Finals.

Afterward, X troll account Bricks Center (@BricksCenter) shared a clip from the postgame presser, alleging Wilson laughed at an “Asian reporter’s accent” when he asked Aces coach Becky Hammon about NaLyssa Smith’s foul situation.

The short clip zoomed in on Wilson smiling as the question was being asked.

However, the full press conference tells a different story: The reporter was French, not Asian, and his question came right after Wilson and Hammon had been joking around. Wilson explained she was checking the box score for foul totals and remarked that the numbers were “interesting.”

"By interesting, do you mean that's s**t?" Hammon asked playfully.

"Yeah, I can't say that, 'cause I have a brand to protect," Wilson replied.

Hammon fired back with a grin:

"Are you saying I have no brand?"

Wilson then laughed at the exchange, coinciding with the French reporter beginning his question, not at his accent.

Watch the full moment below, starting at the 4:37 mark:

A’ja Wilson says Aces need to defend better in Game 5

In her postgame comments, A’ja Wilson pointed to Las Vegas’ defense and foul issues as the key areas to improve.

“We'll do better,” she said. “We gotta play better defense.”

The Aces were hit with 24 fouls in total: five apiece on NaLyssa Smith, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, four on Megan Gustafson, and three on Wilson. The Fever capitalized, sinking 26 of 34 free throws, with Aliyah Boston knocking down 10 of 13.

By contrast, the Aces attempted only 11 free throws and converted eight.

Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 25 points, while Boston posted 24 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Odyssey Sims added 18 points, and Indiana dominated in hustle stats: 12-0 in second-chance points and 15-6 on the fast break.

The Fever also controlled the glass, winning the rebound battle 34-22.

For Las Vegas, Young scored 18 points, and Gray added 12 on 13 shots.

Now, everything comes down to Tuesday night’s decisive Game 5 in Las Vegas, with the winner advancing to the WNBA Finals, set to begin Friday night.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

Know More

Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro