A’ja Wilson had a dream year in 2024 with a historic WNBA MVP campaign and a dominant run to the gold medal at the Olympics. The new year has carried that narrative forward and raised the bar. The Las Vegas Aces superstar has achieved that one landmark that heralds the coming of age of a professional athlete in terms of brand worth — a signature shoe.
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Nike recently launched the A’One, its first shoe with Wilson. The release of a signature line has been a long time coming for the three-time WNBA MVP. Wilson has been the undisputed best player in women’s basketball for a while now. But Nike signed the 28-year-old as a signature athlete only in the spring of last year.
A year on, it’s A’One time. As part of the launch, Wilson was on a tour of certain stores in her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. At her first stop of the day, she was overcome with emotion, achieving a milestone.
Wilson had just sold the first pair of A’Ones, and took to her Threads account to express her emotions. “I just sold my first shoe excuse me while I go cry,” she wrote. Wilson also praised the lord for the blessing, posting, “God is soooo good!”
The delay in announcing a signature shoe had led to many wondering if the relationship between her and Nike broke down. But all those rumors were put to rest when Wilson sported an ‘Of Course I Have A Shoe Dot Com’ hoodie.
The A’One has only been announced in two colorways as of now. We have seen pictures of what the shoe looks like on the court. Wilson’s rumored beau, Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, wore the first pair in a game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Bam Adebayo laces up the Nike A’One — @_AjaWilson22’s first signature shoe. pic.twitter.com/y7BSw2fXUa
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) February 7, 2025
Adebayo isn’t the only person in Wilson’s life to get a pair, though. The reigning MVP also gifted a custom, all-black pair to her college coach, Dawn Staley.
The shoe is yet to be released to the public, with general sales slated to begin in May 2025, just in time for the new WNBA season.
