WNBA Star A’ja Wilson is TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year

Another year. Another championship. And now WNBA star A’ja Wilson is TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year. In 2024, Caitlin Clark was TIME’s selection after her league-altering rookie debut. While Lionel Messi was also honored with this particular distinction in 2023 after his move to Inter Miami, leading to massive surges in viewership, attendance, and merchandise sales.

Nonetheless, this year TIME’s cover athlete proved that even through adversity and challenges you can come out as the victor. A’ja’s team the Las Vegas Aces had a very slow start to the 2025 season. Most predicted the Minnesota Lynx as being 2025’s future champions. However, Vegas later picked up red hot steam and completely turned it all around. In true dominant fashion Vegas won their last 16 games of the regular season AND absolutely annihilated their opponent in the WNBA Finals. Thus, winning the team’s third WNBA title in just four years.

Regarding the ups and downs experienced, Wilson reveals, “Sometimes you’ve just got to get knocked down to get built back up,” says Wilson. “I think 2025 was a wake-up call that I needed, to let me know that I can’t be satisfied with anything. There’s somebody out there that’s going to try to take your job. You need to make sure you’re great at it, every single day.”

Wilson’s hard work and dedication has been on full display throughout her professional career. She has so many accolades and accomplishments under her belt offensively and defensively. MVPs. Multiple titles. It’s no wonder that other athletes, teammates and young women everywhere find her inspiring.

LeBron James spoke on The Wilson Effect, especially with his own daughter; he mentions,

“I realized her greatest impact isn’t what I see, it’s what Zhuri sees. A’ja Wilson is the definition of excellence, and I am so grateful she is giving my daughter the kind of inspiration I got from Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey Jr.”

WNBA Star A’ja Wilson is TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year

Furthermore, TIME was very clear as to why they selected the talented Wilson for their annual prestigious honor. The journal states,

“[She is] 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. 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-Jabbar, and LeBron James.

Wilson, a seven-time All-Star, has positioned herself as an ideal leader in this pivotal moment in women’s sports history. She is an effervescent WNBA ambassador.”

Yes, she is a game-changer. A fearless athlete who is relentless on the court and passionate about taking the league to new heights. If she retired right now she would be iconic; but with many years left to play, she will no doubt finish as one of the WNBA’s legends; among the best to ever do it.

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