A’Ja Wilson sat down to talk on Podcast P with Paul George to discuss her path to the WNBA. As WNBA Champion and 2x MVP of the Las Vegas Aces, A’Ja Wilson is an exciting member of the basketball roster.
But, although she may have developed into a champion player, she A’Ja Wilson did not always love the sport,
“I was a late bloomer. I sucked, I was really bad at basketball and I couldn’t stand sweating. I just wanted to be a normal girly girl that was getting my nails done and going to the mall with my friends…I just couldn’t stand the sport, it was disgusting to me. So I probably didn’t start thinking about basketball for real until I was like 14 or 15 years old. My dad played overseas for 10 years in Sweden so he was like ‘You’re gonna hoop, it’s in your blood at this point.”
But, once A’Ja Wilson got into the game, becoming one of the best became one of her biggest priorities,
“When you’re talking GOATS of the W, I need my name to be up there, at least top three. Like that’s my goal…When you’re thinking of women’s basketball, when you’re thinking of the W I want my name to be on it. So whatever it takes, whatever it needs to get there, whether it’s the rings, whether it’s the accolades individually like I want to be up there in that kind of conversation. I need that in order for me to sleep at night.”
A’Ja Wilson not only attended the University of South Carolina, she also has a statue at the institution,
“Normally when people get a statue they’re either dead or knocking at the door…I was nervous when I had to go up there and they revealed it, I was like lord, somebody about to take me out…But when I get those tweets and I see those little kids bringing a basketball up to the statue and mimicking it, that’s why I play. Like I said in my speech, my grandmother couldn’t walk on that campus. My dad couldn’t even go to the University of South Carolina because they were black and now you have a statue of a black woman, right there in the front. I can’t beat that. That’s why I play.”
A’Ja Wilson and Paul George also took a moment to discuss if Lebron will retire,
“Do I think Bron’s gonna retire? No, I don’t think so but I do think he needs time to just chill. I feel like this season was a lot…So I think he just needs time to dissect it all and just really take it all in. But I don’t think he’s gonna retire.”
But, A’Ja Wilson and Paul George did not finish their conversation without talking about it the Aces are a “Superteam” using the Golden State Warriors to help make the comparison,
A’Ja: “I don’t believe in superteams…I just feel like we’re all coming together with the equal goal and we’re just trying to reach that goal. That doesn’t make us super because we have”
PG: “If you look to your left you have Kelsey Plum and you look to your right and you have Candace Parker…”
A’Ja: “We’re talented and skilled, yes. But when it comes to a super team, nah because I feel like that’s where the pressure come in. If we lose a game they’re like ‘oh this super team sucks’ and it’s like well no one told y’all to label us as a super team. I feel like everyone on the outside talks about a super team more than we do.”
PG: “It’s different for y’all because Kelsey’s [Plum] been there for a while you drafted Jackie [Young], you’ve been there and got drafted…so y’all did it organically and then Candace came over to join the team. I guess it’s not a super team because you all came together, similar to the Warriors.”
Catch up on the podcast to see A’Ja Wilson and Paul George choose their All-Time WNBA starting 5.
Podcast P with Paul George is presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment. New episodes can be found every Monday.
