WNBA Star A’ja Wilson Has One Goal: “Be Better”

A’ja Wilson is on fire right now. To summarize the Las Vegas Aces center’s year: She’s averaging a stunning 27.2 points per game, per the WNBA. She was awarded Best WNBA Player and Best Athlete, Women’s Sports at the ESPY Awards. She’s currently playing on Team USA in Paris, and (along with Breanna Stewart) shot back-to-back 20-point games during the Olympics — something that hasn’t been done by a Team USA women’s basketball player since Teresa Edwards in 1988. She’s also the only player — across the men’s and women’s teams — to have multiple double-doubles during the 2024 Games, according to Bleacher Report.
As for her work off the court: This year, Wilson released a (New York Times bestselling) book, “Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You“. She announced her A’One shoe deal with Nike. She continues to empower children and families with dyslexia through the A’ja Wilson Foundation. Phew.

You’ll notice the range of her accolades. Wilson isn’t just making a big impact on the sport of women’s basketball; she’s also a role model for the next generation. As Tom Brady wrote in her Time “Most Influential People of 2024” profile, “A’ja Wilson is not just an incredible athlete, she is also an inspiration to all who witness her talent and drive. Her journey is a testament to the power of passion and fearlessness in achieving greatness.”

Before heading to Paris to compete in her second Olympic Games, Wilson sat down with PS as part of her participation in a new Gatorade campaign. The campaign remixes the famous Gatorade marketing ad from the ’90s — you know the one, where the biggest athletes of the time were shot sweating Gatorade bullets — and includes the iconic tagline “Is It In You?” The updated ads feature none other than Michael Jordan narrating, an impactful acknowledgement of just how larger-than-life the WNBA talent is.

“I remember growing up and watching these commercials,” Wilson tells PS. “To now [be] a part of it is truly special. When you have someone like Michael Jordan headlining, it’s pretty awesome to say that your name is in that list. You know that name is going to be full of greatness.”

Here, Wilson shares with PS how she stays focused when she’s facing challenges on or off the court, and what message she hopes she’s sharing with her younger fans.

PS: Coming off of back-to-back championships, sold out games, and all this incredible hype and energy for the WNBA right now, do things feel differently for you and your teammates this season?

A’ja Wilson: No, I feel like we’ve always got this target on our back. It gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger every single year. So, it’s not really too different, but I would honestly say our mindset has been different for greater purposes. And that’s what I love the most. It’s like, we’re not satisfied. With the resume we have and what we’ve done over the two years, we could definitely take a step back and feel entitled and think that every team is gonna roll down and let us win. But that’s not the case. We’re coming in with the mindset of: no, we want it. We want it again. We’re being greedy. We need to go after it and take no plays off. So I’m definitely excited about what’s to come for the Aces.

PS: Could you talk us through any goals you have set for this season?

AW: Just to be better. I always said the main goal for myself is just to be better than I was last year. Either that’s just better and better shape or a better teammate or a better leader or adding different things to my game. I want people to see a different A’ja than they did last year. That’s how we continue to grow — not just for myself, but as a team as well.

PS: I know you mentioned mindset — how do you stay focused and maintain composure?

AW: I do the flip of everything. I get a little loose. I talk to my teammates. We dance a little bit, we may sing a little bit. It’s already a lot of pressure on us going into games. So I relieve that by not thinking about it too much and understanding that it is a game, it is entertainment at the end of the day. And I’m blessed to be able to play it. So I go out there and have fun. I really just shake my shoulders off a little bit, and go out there and just take what the defense gives me and what the game gives me.

I [also] really try to train myself to be in the moment and understand that not every day’s gonna be sunshine and rainbows. They’re gonna be thunderstorms as well. But those thunderstorms do go away and when they do, that’s the time to shine the brightest. That’s where you get that rainbow and you can really flourish into who you are.

So, that’s my approach when I’m on court, off court, in life, anywhere. I don’t want to ever take for granted where I am in life and where I come from.

PS: How do you respond to challenges or any setbacks you might have experienced in your journey?

AW: I do them again. [Laughs] I feel like I’m a little kid that has to test the stove a little bit, to be like, “Is it really that hot?” It’s really that hot. I have to go touch it again, because I’m like, “It wasn’t that hot.” I really don’t like no for an answer. But when I do get that no, I try to understand that maybe that’s not the door that I want to go through, but there are multiple other doors that I can get through. So when it comes to challenges, I attack them head on and know that if it’s meant for me, it’s going to be for me.

PS: Tell us about how you and your team stay inspired and keep the energy high.

AW: We get lit, we get lit. [Laughing.] We’re turning up some music, or constantly cheering each other on.

You don’t know what things people may be going through. And you don’t want to add on to that. We add on to ourselves sometimes. And so for us, we take that off and allow people to be themselves and love them in that — and that’s how I really gain a lot of trust from my teammates and my coaches as well. But we just have fun with what we do. Some people may look at it and be like, “Oh my God, they’re crazy,” or, “It’s fake,” or “It’s for the camera.” But it’s genuine.

PS: I know you had a book come out. What would you say, to maybe someone from the younger generation, who might be struggling to find their voice?

AW: Your voice doesn’t always have to be loud. I feel like a lot of people think you have to have that loud voice, and you have to be commanding everyone in the room. But no, you can be yourself. Your voice can be as faint but it can still be heard because you’re being you. And the people that you love and are true to you will totally understand that. You don’t have to be the loudest or most outspoken. You can be yourself and still make a difference, and make a change, and be kind in that space.

People are so quick to just wanting to be the loudest and the proudest. But in some aspects, you can be yourself and if that’s quiet and at peace, then so be it. That’s my biggest thing with young people is understanding that one, it takes time to find your voice; and two, it doesn’t always have to be the loudest in the room. You can still be your voice at your pace.

PS: Do you have any words of advice for young fans of the WNBA or girls who are playing in high school or other female athletes?

AW: I’ve always said it in my book: give yourself some grace. I feel that’s the biggest thing. It’s just like, be kind to yourself. Yes, be kind to others, but be kind to yourself, because that’s where it really matters.

You never know who’s day you may change. Just know that and have fun in that, make it a good day.

It’s not always gonna be pretty. It’s not always gonna be great, fun, and happy. [So] understand that you can get through those days. Just give yourself some grace.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a Staff Writer, Health & Fitness. A life-long martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength & conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in Exercise Science and Strength and Conditioning from George Washington University.