A’ja Wilson and the Aces are hunting for their third straight WNBA title. The center has led her team to two consecutive championships and has won the Finals MVP in both campaigns. She’s now aiming for a three-peat, a feat that has only been achieved once in the league’s history. The motivation after winning back-to-back titles could fade, but Wilson knows how to amp up her teammates.
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During an appearance on the Jennifer Hudson Show in November last year, the 28-year-old revealed that she talks a lot of trash, even to her teammates. The host asked if her teammates get an earful a lot and often. Wilson replied that she wouldn’t necessarily call it trash-talking but she doesn’t mince words when trying to get her point across. When asked to elaborate, she said,
“I love to scream. I’m like, no, you’re going to feel this passion, you’re gonna feel this hard work… But I really talk to my teammates. I really like to amp them up because that’s when we get the best out of them.. I’m petty. I like to poke a little bear here and there.”
Wilson added that she doesn’t shy away from talking trash to opponents and does it whenever possible. However, her teammates know they could be on the receiving end of a verbal assault too.
Fortunately, her teammates do not view her trash-talking as their leader berating them. Rather, they treat it as unfiltered feedback. Wilson recalled saying, “We get paid to shoot, so, shoot,” to her teammate Jackie Young. Her attempt to get her fired up worked too.
She also revealed that she plays the role of an instigator to push them to play better. She claimed that she often tells teammates, “Somebody over there said they shoot better than you,” to rile them up.
Wilson’s unconventional strategy may not be universally revered. However, the Aces have won back-to-back titles and Wilson is the two-time reigning Finals MVP.
They haven’t looked as invincible this season as they did in the last two campaigns. They are 19-12 and fourth in the standings. Perhaps their superstar center is about to amp up the trash-talking to push her team to play better.
The Aces are standing on the doorstep of history. Wilson will say and do whatever she needs to ensure her team does everything in their power to three-peat.
