“Better Person Than She Is Player”: Aces’ Jackie Young Heaps Praise on A’ja Wilson and Her Leadership

A’ja Wilson is one of the, if not the best, players in the WNBA, and it has been that way for some time. She is fresh off winning her third MVP award following a historic 2024 WNBA season. While many people see Wilson’s scoring and rebounding as her best traits, those don’t even rank in the top-2 for her teammates.

Not every player has the tools to become a leader of a team. In many instances, the best player isn’t necessarily the team’s leader. The Golden State Warriors are the perfect example, with Draymond Green being the vocal leader of the team over Stephen Curry.

However, when it comes to the Las Vegas Aces, their best player is also the one leading them from the front. Not only is Wilson a leader on the basketball court, but off of it as well.

Her leadership traits go back as far as her collegiate career at South Carolina. In her years under Dawn Staley, Wilson managed to lead the Gamecocks to their first-ever NCAA Championship in 2017. When drafted by the Aces in 2018, A’ja came into the organization and naturally rose as their leader.

Every professional athlete develops some sort of ego, which allows them to play at the highest level. The Aces franchise appears to be an exception. Despite having multiple stars on the roster, jealousy doesn’t exist, especially toward Wilson.

“Whenever I could have gotten traded, she was always there,” Aces star Jackie Young said on the Bird’s Eye View podcast.

Young’s comments shed light on Wilson’s leadership style. Her purpose as a leader isn’t strictly on a basketball level, but it’s on a human level. Wilson and the rest of the Aces roster have a close relationship with one another. That relationship remains one of the prime reasons they won consecutive championships in 2022 and 2023.

Young didn’t jump onto the professional scene as dominantly as Wilson in her first few years. Having the privilege to closely watch her work ethic and cadence to her craft inspired her to be greater. “It kind of makes you want to become great like them,” Young said.

The praise from the three-time All-Star didn’t stop there. Surprisingly, Young confesses Wilson’s basketball ability isn’t anywhere close to the best aspect about her.

“The biggest thing is [A’ja Wilson] is a better person than she is player,” Young said. “She’s a great player too, but at the end of the day, despite all the success that she has, she always checks on us. She just leads the team by example.”

Regardless of whether Young or any other teammates are in a slump or in the best mood, Wilson is constantly present in their lives. Those gestures go a long way and explain why the Aces are such a great team. With A’ja at the helm, guiding her squad like she does, it is no surprise that they always manage to rise as championship contenders.