A’ja Wilson Wore Exclusive Nike LeBron Sneakers Inspired by Her Sorority
A’ja Wilson is a frontrunner to take home this season’s WNBA MVP honor — the award would be her third after winning it in 2020 and 2022 — and she’s doing so in style. Wilson’s performance during the Las Vegas Aces’ game against the Atlanta Dream on Friday, August 30 is a perfect example of her ability to take over the court and look good while doing it.
For the Friday match-up, Wilson wore a special version of LeBron James’ Nike LeBron 21 sneaker in a player exclusive colorway. Wilson’s PE was inspired by her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, which she joined while attending the University of South Carolina.
With a mostly black upper, Wilson’s Alpha Kappa Alpha-inspired LeBron 21 PEs added accents of the sorority’s colors, salmon pink and apple green. Salmon pink filled the shoe’s Swoosh and Air Zoom-cushioned midsole, while the apple green color was more subtly used on the eyelets, tongue logo and the heel’s detailing. Understated yet elegant, the exclusive pair didn’t appear to feature any official Alpha Kappa Alpha branding, but the colors were enough to tell the story.
Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded at Howard University in 1908 and is recognized as the first intercollegiate historically Black sorority. It boasts a number of notable members, among them is presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Wilson and Harris shared a sorority-related moment together in August 2023 during the Aces’ visit to the White House after winning the ’22 WNBA championship.
Wilson attended the University of South Carolina from 2014 to 2018, where she was a member of AKA’s Theta Gamma chapter. She earned numerous SEC accolades in college before being drafted first overall by the Aces in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
Her WNBA career has been illustrious, with many regarding her as a top active player today. In addition to her aforementioned MVP honors, she led the Aces to WNBA championships in ’22 and ’23. In the summer of 2024, Wilson propelled the US women’s Olympic basketball team to their eighth straight gold medal.
Wilson’s debut signature sneaker, the Nike A’One, will be released in 2025.
Despite pleas from fans on social media, it’s unlikely Wilson’s Nike LeBron 21 “Alpha Kappa Alpha” PE will be released to the public. Fans can find other LeBron 21 styles on nike.com from $99.97.