EXCLUSIVE: A’ja Wilson Opens Up About Landing a Nike Signature Shoe Deal, Showing Black Women That Everything Is Possible — And Making Pharrell an Offer He Can’t Refuse
On set at Blok Photo Studio in Phoenix, photographer Flo Ngala asks A’ja Wilson to give her some movement. Without hesitation, the WNBA star starts dancing to the Beyoncé playlist that is blaring through the speakers with a beaming smile and an energy that’s beyond infectious.
And why shouldn’t she be smiling? At just 27, Wilson, who plays for the Las Vegas Aces, is 48 hours away from playing in her sixth WNBA All-Star Game, at a time when women’s basketball has never been hotter. Then, she’s immediately off to Paris to compete for her second gold medal as a member of Team USA.
For FN’s cover shoot, Wilson is being photographed for the first time in a hoodie of her own design from her highly anticipated collection with Nike, as well as some of her other pieces and the Swoosh’s most iconic sneakers.
Her own forthcoming signature sneaker, the A’One, will soon be in her home alongside those from legends she admires — Dawn Staley and Lisa Leslie, among others.
When the Nike A’One releases in 2025, Wilson will be the first Black woman with a signature basketball shoe since Adidas launched its last look for Candace Parker in 2011, the Ace Versatility. Wilson will also be the first Black woman to receive a Nike signature basketball shoe in more than 20 years, the last being Hall of Famers Sheryl Swoopes and Chamique Holdsclaw.
“To be the next Black woman with a signature shoe, oh my gosh, I am so excited for next year. I can’t contain it,” Wilson said. “It’s such a big moment. When [the news] first dropped, Coach Staley hit me, Sheryl hit me, Lisa hit me and they were all like, ‘You deserve this.’ To have greats, Hall of Famers like that say that to me, I was like, ‘God, thank you.’”
WORTH THE WAIT
When Nike announced Wilson as its next signature athlete in May, the brand quelled long-simmering frustrations among fans who were waiting for a shoe bearing her name.
What they didn’t know was that Wilson, too, was frustrated.
“You work your ass off to get where you are, and yet you are still in a situation like, ‘Am I good enough? Am I enough? What do I need to show to you guys?’ I ran into that with Nike,” she explained. “But on the flip side, Nike was like, ‘No, you are enough. You have to trust the process.’”
Wilson and Nike finally began collaborating on the shoe and collection in early 2023, but the work was kept under wraps.
“I’m looking at the shoe, I’m changing it and we’re figuring out what direction we want to go with it. That takes time. At the same time, I’m not someone that’s going to be tweeting or having conversations or interviews discussing my every move,” Wilson said.
But she was forced to end her silence in April, after reports surfaced of a signature shoe deal for WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark, just two days after Clark was drafted into the league. The news irked longtime fans of Wilson — a two-time WNBA champion who has also been named league MVP twice. They believed her accolades alone made her more than deserving.
That night, Wilson responded to the chatter via Twitter: “Always remember what is delayed is not denied.”
“The conversation [on social media] was like, ‘Now you have a shoe because of Caitlin.’ No, it was never that. What is for me was always going to be for me, with or without this rookie class. I promise you that,” Wilson said.
She continued, “Nike taught me a lot about being patient. My patience was definitely tested, but I’m grateful because trusting that process, I now have a shoe that I’m happy with.”
Although Wilson and Nike have been tight-lipped on details since the announcement, the athlete provided some insights about her A’One sneaker.
“When people look at my position in basketball, they think of a big-man shoe, a forward or center shoe. The A’One is not that. It is the complete opposite,” Wilson said. “It’s very versatile because that is my style of play. And I wanted a shoe that was going to be comfortable and durable for 40 minutes because the last thing I want to worry about on court are my shoes. And it’s a low top.”
Ben Nethongkome, lead footwear designer for Wilson’s collection, added, “A’ja has been incredible to work with on her signature collection. Her vibes are unmatched, the energy she brings is amazing, and you can tell she is a natural leader. She immediately made the entire team feel so comfortable, which led to better conversations, design and more.”
USING HER VOICE
On set, Wilson has more on her mind than just sneakers — or basketball. We’re only days removed from the historic announcement that President Joe Biden has exited the U.S. presidential race and endorsed current Vice President Kamala Harris. At press time, Harris is considered the presumptive Democratic nominee, making her the first woman of color on a major party ticket.
With election day just months away, Wilson, who is passionate about issues of politics, women’s rights and race, recognizes the importance her voice carries beyond the basketball court. And she is committed to using her platform.
“I’m always going to encourage people to vote and know that they have a voice and know that it is how you get what you want. We can’t complain and then don’t do the work. I encourage people as much as possible to vote wherever they are — absentee, anything,” Wilson said.
At the same time, she’s not suffering fools. “I don’t like being bothered by people that feel like they have a say in things that have nothing to do with them — like women’s rights,” she added.
The issue of racial equality also sparks her ire, especially a recent report that a Black woman, Sonya Massey, was shot and killed in her Illinois home by a sheriff’s deputy, who has since been fired from the agency and charged with murder.
“Like Malcolm X said, ‘The most disrespected person in the world is the Black woman,’” she said. “Every day you’re fighting a battle. You can wake up and the world hates you or the world loves you. Navigating that is something I’ve started to learn how to do, and I’ve done it vocally, which has really helped me. It helped me realize that I’m not by myself.”
Indeed, Wilson was very forthcoming in her book “Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You,” a biography detailing her experiences as a young Black girl in America and sharing how she was able to find success. The book debuted on The New York Times bestseller list almost as soon as it launched in February.
“Writing my book, I felt like I was writing in my diary,” Wilson said. “But when I did my book tour, all these people came out and were like, ‘This is my life.’”
She continued, “Growing up, it was hard for me to speak on these things because I went to private school with only 5 percent Black kids. I couldn’t have these conversations because no one looked like me. As I got older, I started to be in tune with myself and was like, I don’t care who’s in the room, I’m going to say what I have to say because I need to be heard.”
With her book, she was also able to connect with younger players in the WNBA, including rookie Aaliyah Edwards of the Washington Mystics. “She read my book and was sending me quotes as if I didn’t write it,” Wilson said with a laugh. “It really warmed my heart.
FASHION ON HER OWN TERMS
Wilson’s undeniable influence on the next generation is arguably most evident with a trend that has swept the pro and college game: the single-leg sleeve.
But she didn’t rock the style to set a trend — it was out of necessity. “I wore it because my leg was not working,” Wilson said with a laugh.
She began wearing the leg sleeve during her rookie year because of pain from training camp. “At the University of South Carolina, Coach Staley was strict about our uniform. We weren’t allowed to wear sleeves unless it was medically cleared. In training camp [with the Aces], I was like, ‘Oh my God, my leg is not here today’ — my left leg, the one I use the most because I’m left-handed. So I tried the sleeve, but I cut the other one off because I wasn’t used to wearing sleeves and I hated it.”
Since her now-famous look debuted, it has been spotted on some of basketball’s best, including rookie Angel Reese and even four-time NBA champion LeBron James.
However, the college game is where Wilson’s influence is seen the most. “[My agent], Jade [English], was at a regional and she sent a picture. Of the 10 girls on the court, eight of them had one leg sleeve. She was like, ‘Look at the A’ja Wilson effect,’” the hooper said.
When it comes to fashion off the court, Wilson described herself as a cozy, sassy, ’90s vintage girl. (“If they all could have a baby, it would be me,” she said.)
Personal stylist Amadi Brooks, whose professional relationship with Wilson began at the start of the 2023 WNBA season, referred to her stature as “model- esque” and said there are few looks she can’t pull off.
“She is the perfect combination of sporty and feminine, and she’s able to switch it up effortlessly. She’s versatile, so we’re able to go from comfy-cozy to hyperfeminine to a combination of both,” Brooks explained. “And I love working with A’ja because it’s a collaborative effort. A’ja has her own mind and sense of how she wants to look, and when we put our minds together, we’re able to execute something that’s authentic to who she is.”
Brooks’ favorite outfit so far is the custom tattered jeans adorned with pearls that Wilson wore to the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game. The pearls served as a nod to both Wilson’s sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and her late grandmother, who gifted her pearls that she continues to wear.
In terms of footwear, Wilson said she’s starting to wear heels more and favors looks from Saint Laurent and Christian Louboutin. Her closet also holds several iconic looks from Nike, mostly Dunks and Air Force 1s.
Wilson admitted she has more than 50 pairs of all-white Air Force 1s, with good reason. “This is going to sound crazy, but one foot is bigger than the other,” she admitted. “I have 11.5 and 11 because I like my Forces snug, but the way that I walk, one shoe will crease, so I’ve got to rotate them because I can’t have them creased.”
She is also starting to incorporate Prada and Gucci into her wardrobe, when it comes to both clothes and footwear. Her favorite designer brand, however, is Louis Vuitton. “I love me some Louis,” she said. “My whole closet is just that, it’s so bad.”
In fact, Wilson jokingly said it wouldn’t take much to get her on board as an ambassador for the brand.
“Pharrell could just knock on my door,” Wilson said with a laugh. “Knock on my door with one of those iridescent Louis duffels, put an A logo on there and I’m set. I can come to a couple shows, sit there, look all interested in the people walking. It doesn’t take much to make me happy.”
Attending a show is one thing. Would she walk in one? That’s another story. “I’m scared because I feel like I’ll walk like an athlete,” Wilson said with a laugh. “But I’m down. Listen, when it comes to a moment to stand out, A’ja never runs away from it.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.