'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Basketball star A’Ja Wilson was one of 13 extraordinary women honored as part of the 2025 Time Women of the Year honors.
In a heartfelt speech, the two-time WNBA Champion said that she wanted to provide a light for others just as her parents and grandparents had done for her.
“I never could have dreamed that my journey would take me to the WNBA, but I always prayed that whatever I did would help someone bring a little joy (and) light to people’s lives, just like my parents and grandmother did for me.”
Trending
Speaking with the Boardroom about her parents, the three-time MVP said:
“I don’t even think there are enough tangible things that I could do to repay them for how much they’ve sacrificed for me, how much they love for me,” A’ja said.
“My dad says, ‘I’m living my dream watching my daughter live hers.’ So every time I step foot on that court, every time I’m seen somewhere, I have to shine because I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams, and I’m my parents’ dream.”
Wilson’s late grandmother, Hattie Rakes, who died in 2016, was, and continues to be, a guiding light for the basketball star.
In an interview with the Washington Post last year, shortly after her statue was unveiled, Wilson said this regarding the impact of her grandmother:
“My grandmother couldn’t even walk on (University of South Carolina’s) campus, but here I am, here I am there ... I try to continue to be in the community. I continue to try to be that face that young girls, particularly Black girls, can have a tangible role model. …
"She’s the one that dreamt it, I’m the one that’s living it and now I have to continue to dream for the next generation.”
A’Ja Wilson was named one of the Time Women of the Year
Three-time WNBA MVP A’Ja Wilson was one of 13 women celebrated by Time Magazine as one of its Women of the Year.
Wilson led the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023. Although they came up short in their quest to join the Houston Comets as the only other team to three-peat in league history, Wilson had another stellar season. She led the league with 26.9 ppg and won her third WNBA MVP Award.
The two-time WNBA champion also helped the USA claim their eighth consecutive gold medal in the Paris Olympics with a closer-than-anticipated 67-66 win over host country France. Wilson scored 21 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and swatted four shots in the victory.
With the unveiling of the Nike A’One, Wilson became the first black WNBA player to have her signature since 2010.
