Las Vegas Aces Star A’ja Wilson Adds Another Accolade To Her Growing Legacy
By Melanie VanDerveer on December 9, 2025 at 6:30 PM EST
What a year for A'ja Wilson!
Crowned TIME’s 2025 Athlete of the Year, the Las Vegas Aces star is closing out an unforgettable year packed with achievements, honors, and a championship victory.
A'ja Wilson Named TIME's 2025 Athlete Of The Year
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2025 has been the year of A'ja Wilson!
After winning her third WNBA title, third Defensive Player of the Year award, fourth MVP, and being the first player in WNBA history to win a championship, Finals MVP, regular-season MVP, and DPOY award all in the same season, the Aces star has now been named TIME's 2025 Athlete of the Year.
"Covering Wilson’s left hand is the golden gauntlet worn by Thanos, the Marvel supervillain. Under each of the six Infinity Stones that control the universe, Wilson, the 6-ft., 4-in. superstar, has written one of her season’s honors: Scoring title, her second; 5K—in June she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach the 5,000-point milestone; DPOY, for defensive player of the year, her third; MVP, her record fourth; Finals MVP, her second; and Champ, her third," TIME shared in an Instagram post announcing Wilson is Athlete of the Year.
"She’s the first player, in WNBA or NBA history, to win a championship and be named Finals MVP, league MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. And she’s one of just four players in either league to win four MVP trophies before the age of 30, the others being Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, and LeBron James."
A'ja Wilson Talks About Being 'The GOAT'
Wilson told TIME that she's "been the GOAT since 1996" in her home.
"I think I'm on my way there," she said. "I'm making it real hard for people to chase after me. That's what it means to be the GOAT."
Wilson has positioned herself as a leader in women's sports history, and 2025 has just pushed her more into that role. The seven-time All-Star has been seen all over the place after the Aces championship season ended, making appearances on many talk shows and in endorsement deals.
Opening Up About Her Relationship With Bam Adebayo
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Something that's not been talked too much about until recently is Wilson's relationship with boyfriend, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo.
When the topic of marriage entered the chat during Wilson's interview with TIME, she replied, "That's the question I need you to deliver to him." Adebayo's response was, "Y'all will know, because people are nosy and they'll look at her hands. There you go."
The two have been dating for about four years after connecting at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but kept it on the downlow until they were more comfortable with each other.
“The best thing about our relationship, we started out as great friends,” Adebayo told TIME. “We didn’t just jump to, ‘Hey, what’s up? You and I will make a great thing.’ Nah, we really eased into this.”
Wilson and Adebayo are both on the same page about starting a family. Wilson said, "That is always a dream."
"This is my life partner. Honestly, what on earth was my world before you? That's how much he's impacted my life, my family's life," she continued.
A'ja Wilson Named One Of The Most Powerful Women In Sports By Forbes
Earlier this year, Wilson was named one of America's Most Powerful Women in Sports by Forbes.
"Fresh off winning the 2025 WNBA championship and securing her record fourth MVP Award, A'ja Wilson has cemented her status as a generational talent," Forbes wrote.
In addition to her influence on the court, Wilson has had major influence off the court. She released her first signature shoe deal and apparel line with Nike in May of this year and authored her first book, "Dear Black Girls," which became a bestseller in 2024.
The sky's the limit for Wilson and she's proving that on and off the court.
Las Vegas Aces Are The 2025 WNBA Champions
The Aces won their third WNBA Championship in four years in 2025. A week after winning Game 4 of the Finals against the Phoenix Mercury, sweeping the series, the team paraded down the Las Vegas Strip and had an epic celebration at Toshiba Plaza at T-Mobile Arena.
Wilson was in the front of the bus with her teammates, holding her trophy as the parade ended and the party started. While on stage, Wilson shared some words with her teammates and the rest of the Aces franchise in front of the crowd of excited fans.
"First, I really want to thank each and every last one of you guys that's on the stage, give it up for yourselves. We were in the trenches, and everybody was looking at everybody sideways, but we always had belief, and I love y'all for that," she said. "For my teammates, my girlies, oh my God, I love y'all with my whole heart."
