A'ja Wilson has accomplished just about everything there is to achieve in one's basketball career.
The 27-year-old has won two WNBA championships, two MVP awards, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, an Olympic gold medal and an NCAA title. Oh, and the University of South Carolina had a statue built in honor of its star alumna.
Wilson is one of the most decorated active women's basketball players. But up until recently, she had one thing missing: a signature shoe.
The Aces star can check that box off her bucket list. Wilson will receive her own signature sneaker in 2025, Nike announced Saturday. She and Nike have been working on the product since 2023.
Here's everything we know so far about Wilson's shoe deal with Nike.
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A'ja Wilson Nike signature shoe deal
Wilson, already a Nike athlete, worked with the sports apparel brand for a year behind the scenes on her signature sneaker before the news became public Saturday.
The five-time WNBA All-Star broke the news herself before the Aces' preseason game Saturday against the Puerto Rico women's national team.
The reigning back-to-back WNBA champions are facing Puerto Rico at Wilson's alma mater, the University of South Carolina — just a few months after the Gamecocks won their third national title under coach Dawn Staley.
Wilson arrived at the game rocking a sweatshirt that read: "Of Course I Have A Shoe Dot Com." The URL led to a Nike page announcing Wilson's shoe.
Wilson's shoe is called the Nike A'One. Along with her shoe, Wilson will be debuting a signature clothing apparel and slides with Nike.
This is part of Wilson's multi-year Nike deal. She signed an extension with the brand earlier this year.
“It’s been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection, and it really is an honor to take this next step and become a Nike signature athlete,” Wilson said. “From my logo to the look of the shoe and the pieces throughout the collection, we’ve worked to make sure every detail is perfectly tuned to my game and style.”
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What is the release date for A'ja Wilson's Nike shoe?
Wilson's signature Nike shoe doesn't have an exact release date just yet, but it is expected to arrive by in spring 2025.
That gives Nike and Wilson about a year to continue crafting the shoe and plan a release. The sneaker have been in the works since 2023, but with the release date still one year away, there aren't any sneak peaks at the design just yet.
A custom clothing line and slides will come with the shoe, but there haven't been any teases for those products yet, either.
What WNBA players have signature shoes?
Wilson joins a elite company with the announcement of her signature shoe. She becomes the 13th player in WNBA history ink such deal, and the first Black WNBA player to get a signature sneaker since 2010.
She may be joined by another player soon, as Caitlin Clark's Nike shoe deal has been reported but not confirmed by Nike. The Fever rookie would become the 14th WNBA player with a signature sneaker and the fifth active player, joining Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Elena Delle Donne and Breanna Stewart.
Here's the 13 WNBA players in league history, including Wilson, to have a signature shoe:
- Sheryl Swoopes (Nike Air Swoopes)
- Rebecca Lobo (Reebok Lobo)
- Lisa Leslie (Nike Total Air 9)
- Dawn Staley (Nike Zoom S5 and S5 II)
- Cynthia Cooper (Nike Air C14)
- Nikki McCray (Fila Nikki Delta)
- Chamique Holdsclaw (Nike Shoe BB4 Mique and Shox Mique)
- Diana Taurasi (Nike Air Taurasi and Shox DT)
- Candace Parker (Adidas Ace Commander and Ace Versatility)
- Breanna Stewart (Puma Stewie)
- Elena Delle Donne (Nike Air Deldon)
- Sabrina Ionescu (Nike Air Sabrina)
- A'ja Wilson (Nike A'ONE)
