Meet A’ja Wilson

Black History Month | Player Spotlight

A’ja Wilson was born August 8th, 1996 in Columbia, South Carolina to her two loving parents, Eva Wilson and Roscoe Wilson Jr. Roscoe named her after his favorite song Aja by Deely Stan, which is very fitting considering Deely Stan’s motive for the album. Stan wanted to show listeners of Pop-Rock that Jazz being incorporated can not only be a good thing, but it can spark a whole generational wave of new creations. A’ja is very similar to that song in many ways, especially considering she has been achieving new milestones entire career. One example is being a part of the first team to receive an NCAA championship at USC, or being a first round draft pick in the WNBA, or even becoming the first to win MVP three times in less than eight years. Those are just a few examples of how the game is growing to bigger heights thanks to A’ja, and it encourages the generations coming in after her that anything is possible. However,  what A’ja has done so far was not easy even with the talent that she has. With women in basketball experiencing bias from multiple angles (race, gender, occupation, etc), Black and Brown players of the league are forced to have tunnel vision while balancing the hardships on and off the court.

A’ja Wilson unfortunately had to face the reality of these biases pretty early on in her upbringing as well. She was one of the few black students attending Heathwood Hall Episcopal school, a prestigious private mainly white school in South Carolina. A’ja explored many different sports at first, but after she began to blow up in basketball, some people felt that she was exempt from racial bias all because her parents were able to provide a privately funded education for their daughter. 

A’ja seemed confused by this notion because black girls, no matter their familial status, are never exempt in experiencing  prejudice, gender, and/or racial bias. On top of that, her parents sent her to that private school so that she could receive the adequate help that she needs; considering she has to learn while simultaneously managing anxiety and dyslexia. A’ja mentions some of  the sacrifices her parents made and why in Chapter 3 of Dear Black Girls:

“Whenever I had to read something in front of my classmates, I’d get really anxious and freeze up, which would make everything worse. The most frustrating part was when I was alone, and I had enough time to get into my comfort zone? To just relax and be free? I was good. I loved to write and express myself. The easiest way to convert all the crazy, creative, unexplainable thoughts in my head was to write little stories. I would staple sheets of white computer paper together as my “journal,” and I’d write stories about my pet cat that I didn’t really have, but in my imagination he definitely existed and was my best friend, and he had superpowers and got up to all sorts of feline adventures around South Carolina. 

(See how my brain works?) 

I was really fortunate because my parents were able to send me to a private school where I could learn in a smaller classroom. I’m so thankful for their sacrifice, and, trust me, it was a sacrifice. They got it from all sides. We lived in a predominantly Black community, and there was always that vibe from certain people of, “Oh, you’re sending A’ja over there, huh? Well, look at you. Y’all must got money, huh? Y’all think you’re above us?” 

Trust me, my parents would’ve loved nothing more than to put me in public school. It wasn’t about that. I simply couldn’t thrive unless I was in the right environment, and thank God they put it all on the line and took all the smoke from all sides just to give me that chance.”

                                                                                    -A’ja Wilson, Dear Black Girls

While at her predominantly-white private school, A’ja experienced many disappointing incidents of racial discrimination, including being  invited to a sleepover by someone she thought was a friend. She soon found out she was no friend at all. A’ja , the only would have been the non-white girl at the sleepover, was told she would have to sleep outside of the home to prevent upsetting the host’s father. She recalls this, and more experiences about her upbringing in her book “Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You”.

It’s truly hard to capture with words how jaw-dropping, yet inspiring, the novel is. A’ja faced many obstacles in her childhood, but she always overcame them with resilience and confidence. Wilson recalls many of these instances in her book such as being a young girl exploring her many talents, to falling in love with basketball at, some would say, a later stage than most, while having to balance learning the game from someone who not only meant a lot to her in basketball, but at home too, her father. Her book not only revealed a vulnerable side to one of the best athletes this world has ever seen, but it also shows just how much your life can change if you keep believing in yourself; regardless if the current circumstances don’t seem as promising.

A’ja Wilson, the Gamecocks Legend that contributed to the University of South Carolina Gamecocks first NCAA championship in 2017, has always been a team player even from the bench, and it honestly is likely what sets her apart from her peers. She had to watch, as her coach, a person she looked up to for guidance, chose other players to bring home a win. Despite this, she still cheered on her teammates with a smile on her face to ensure they played their best. Her parents raised an independent woman, who is also confident enough to ask for guidance or help when needed. As long as she was comfortable on the bench being the best cheerleader her team could have (which every team always needs), her father (who doubled as her coach) did not pressure her. He allowed her space to grow and develop her own passion for the sport. Once that spark was truly ignited, A’ja was able to reach out to her dad for guidance.

Book excerpt from “Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You”, A’ja Wilson, 2024

Her dad, Roscoe Wilson, was a professional basketball player himself, so he not only loved the game before A’ja even picked up a basketball, but his love and passion was able to instill fundamental values A’ja likely would not have received elsewhere.  Once A’ja became serious about her craft, there was no stopping the Wilson duo when it came to success. A’ja’s book really brought home the point that sometimes honesty and dedication are two things that are holding someone back from accomplishing their dream goals. Being realistic about your strengths and weaknesses, and allowing trusted mentors to guide you along the way will allow you to bloom into the person you were always meant to be. A’ja Wilson is a walking testament of it. 

A’ja recalls other very important people of her village who made her who she is today, including her stern yet supportive mother. She wanted A’ja to know the importance of being as witty off the court as she is on the court. Eva Wilson encouraged her daughter to get a great education so that she could be the best leader in whichever field A’ja chose to thrive in. Even when it became apparent that A’ja had chosen basketball to be her main career, her mother never allowed her to lose sight of her academics. With Eva’s dedication to her child’s education, and Roscoe’s knowledge of what attributes contribute to a great team, A’ja was able to use her talents in her backyard (South Carolina) while still thriving better than ever in basketball, and that was all thanks to her determination plus her wonderful village. 

 The older I get, the more I realize you can only connect the puzzle pieces of your life in hindsight. In the moment, you can’t see the bigger picture. You can’t see how your people are shaping you. And nobody shaped me more than you, Grandma. 

How can I make these people understand what a rock you were to us all? 

First, you have to know your history. Our history. This was a woman who grew up in the segregated South. She raised four children as a single mother, holding down two jobs. Imagine walking a mile in her shoes during Jim Crow. She lived right by the University of South Carolina, and during segregation, she couldn’t even walk through campus to get to the grocery store that was on the other side. She had to walk around. And despite all the hatred she lived through, was she bitter? No, no, no. Her whole purpose, no matter who you were, was always: How can I help? 

Another big role model A’ja had in her life was her grandmother, Hattie Rakes. When Hattie Rakes was growing up, she was not allowed to even walk on the campus where A’ja received a full academic and sports scholarship as well as won her first NCAA championship at. Ms. Rakes was forced to walk around the campus just to get to the neighborhood grocery store, all because non-whites were not allowed on campus premises. That one story alone shows how far we have come as a society when it comes to racial discrimination and gender bias, but the work is long from over.  A’ja loved her grandmother, and spent many days bonding with her up until she transitioned in 2016. A’ja Wilson even chose to go to USC to be closer to her grandmother . She wore the pearls her grandmother gifted her everywhere she went, and even went on to incorporate said pearls in the design making process with her upcoming clothing + shoe line with Nike.. Despite going on to setting countless records at USC (Regular season and Tournament champion, MVP, Most Outstanding Player, you name it), getting a statue made in her honor, having her jersey retired, and also setting and surpassing records within the WNBA, she, and many other WNBA players with notable careers, are not being compensated as well as their male counterparts within the NBA. 

A’ja Wilson is still continuously pushing through barriers that the WNBA vets before her fought very hard to overcome. She is the first African American WNBA player (in over 10 years)  to receive a full clothing line, not just a signature shoe, with Nike. This stylish and personalized clothing line is set to release May 2025. A’ja knows the importance of having reputable merchandise representing not only her brand, but who she is as a person, and it shows by how she spent the last two years curating every small detail with Nike in order to make sure she is accurately represented, including incorporating different fashion details without it being too out of reach for the audience to comprehend. Take a look below at the first look of her signature shoe, releasing with the full A’one line in just a matter of weeks.

First Look

As we quickly approach the 2025 WNBA Season, we cannot move on before congratulating A’ja Wilson on a job well done when it comes to the endeavors she has accomplished thus far. From battling dyslexia, to finding out how to fit in in an environment that did not look or act like her, to learning and mastering the game of basketball, to becoming a one time champion in the NCAA, to a two time champion (and counting) in the WNBA, to becoming a 3-time MVP, to having her own best selling book, to gracing the covers of many magazines including the New York Time as Woman of the Year (alongside Jordan Chiles, Olympian Gymnast), to many, many more accomplishments. 

Dear A’ja Wilson, thank you for showing women all over the world that it is ok to be yourself ,and that there is no such thing as perfection in the pursuit of your dreams. Thank you for being the example, the standard, and the icon all at once. We appreciate what you are doing to not only better your life, but also leaving a lasting impact on the future of  women’s basketball. We look forward to continuing to witness your incredible, historical journey!