"She is a f**ing beast": Patrick Beverley compares underappreciated A’ja Wilson’s career trajectory to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain

Widely regarded as one of the best WNBA players of the modern era, A’ja Wilson got her flowers from former NBA guard Patrick Beverley. He shared a clip of his “The Pat Bev” podcast on Instagram on Saturday, talking about Wilson’s impact on women’s basketball.

In the clip, Beverley said that Wilson is one of the more underappreciated players in the league. He also likened the WNBA superstar to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.

“I don’t think she [A’ja Wilson] gets enough credit. She’s going to be more appreciated when she’s done playing basketball. She is a f****** beast,” Beverley said on Saturday. “A lot of people can’t reach the milestones she has reached, bro, she gives me Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain vibes.”

Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell have some of the NBA’s most unachievable feats to their names, like Russell’s 11 championships and Chamberlain’s 100-point game. Beverley believes that Wilson has been a similar player in women’s basketball.

The Las Vegas Aces star has played 261 games in the league, averaging 21.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists for her career. She is one of only two WNBA players to average 20+ points for their career. Wilson is first on the all-time list, being trailed by Breanna Stewart in second (20.6 points).

Patrick Beverley urges WNBA players to embrace back-to-back games after Satou Sabally’s schedule criticism

Patrick Beverley has emerged as one of the most avid supporters of women’s basketball since retiring from the NBA, often discussing the women’s league on his podcast. On Friday, Beverly posted a clip on X, replying to Satou Sabally’s criticism of the Phoenix Mercury’s schedule.

Speaking after Phoenix’s loss against the Aces on Thursday, Sabally had criticized the team’s tight scheduling, citing player safety concerns.

"It's like they don't care about player safety, it's like they don't care about scheduling, or whatever,” Sabally said.

Patrick Beverley responded, urging WNBA players to play back-to-backs.

"These ladies deserve more money, but come on, man. You gotta play back-to-backs. You got to… it's part of it,” he said. “Don't lose me. Please don't lose me. Luv, gang."

While Sabally views her team's tightly packed games as a concern, Beverly believes it's all part of being a professional basketball player.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan