Nancy Lieberman was posed with an interesting question during her appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s YouTube show. With the kind of form that WNBA players like A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Breanna Stewart are in, Smith asked the women’s basketball legend to select one player she would pick in a hypothetical draft scenario.
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Usually, experts respond to such questions diplomatically. However, Lieberman was completely unequivocal about selecting Las Vegas Aces star, Wilson to be the cornerstone of her franchise in this imaginary situation.
The Hall of Famer justified her pick by lauding the Aces star for her defense and tendency to be coachable. Additionally, Lieberman also highlighted Wilson’s strong fundamentals, drawing comparison to NBA legend Tim Duncan. The 1984 WNBA Champion said,
“I am taking Asia Wilson. I’m going to build around her because she’s going to make me a better defensive coach. She’s not going to do anything crazy fancy.”
“She’s like the Big Fundamental. She’s like Tim Duncan… I’m going to build around her. I like people who have won championships,” she added.
If you’re starting an WNBA team today, and can build it around anyone, who are you going with? pic.twitter.com/BN9TLWQd7o
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) September 3, 2024
To be fair, there are quite a few similarities between Wilson and Duncan. They also have a similar style of play and almost identical trophy cabinet. Even Stephen A. agreed with the comparison, calling Wilson more intense on the court than Duncan.
A’ja Wilson is on her way to lead the Aces to a three-peat this year. She’s already a two-time WNBA Champion and the favorite to win MVP this year. So Lieberman picking her seems like an obvious choice.
However, Caitlin Clark could have been a good choice as well. She has been on a tear lately following the Olympics hiatus. And moreover, while she’s not on Wilson’s level in terms of dominance, she’s easily the most marketable player in the history of the WNBA.
However, Lieberman picking her over proven vets like Stewart and Wilson might have undermined the WNBA to some extent. Therefore, the WNBA broadcaster chose Wilson without any hesitation.
While Clark and Stewart are recording solid performances on a nightly basis, Wilson has been a class apart from all her competitors. The 28-year-old has been averaging 27.5 points and 12 rebounds. She has played a major contribution in the Nevada side sitting 4th on the standings with a solid 21-12 record.
