A’ja Wilson is the 2024 WNBA MVP.
On Sunday, the league announced the Las Vegas Aces star was unanimously named the 2024 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player, receiving all 67 first-place votes from the national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. She is just the second player in WNBA history to unanimously win the award, the first being Cynthia Cooper of the Houston Comets in 1997.
This is the third time Wilson has won the award, also earning it in 2020 and 2022. Aside from Wilson, only three players have won the award three times in their career: Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
Wilson broke multiple WNBA records en route to her MVP nod, including the single-season scoring record and the single-season rebound record. What’s more, on Sept. 15 against the Connecticut Sun, Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a single season.
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She averaged 26.9 points and 2.58 blocked shots per game this season, ranked first in the league for both, as well as 11.9 rebounds (ranked second in the league).
Wilson also had plenty of shoe stories both on and off the court in 2024. For instance, Nike announced the two-time WNBA champion as its next signature athlete in May, and that her forthcoming signature sneaker, the A’One, will release in 2025. When the Nike A’One releases, 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.
Also, Wilson wore several player edition (PE) Nike LeBron shoes on the court. During WNBA All-Star Weekend in July, the athlete shared the backstory for several of her exclusive looks. Here’s what Wilson had to say, edited for clarity.
Nike LeBron 21 “Indigo” PE
“My purple LeBron 21 PEs, I love this because I was always called the indigo child, one that’s real creative and thinks outside the box. So anytime I rock purple on the court, I think that tells that story through my shoe. And I love these. It’s the perfect little shade of purple.”
Nike LeBron NXXT Gen
“I wore these in a championship game, these are my playoff shoes. I’ve been the type to never wear the same shoe over and over again, but these shoes I cannot throw away. They are my old reliables. I feel like my insoles have a hole in them. They got a lot of buckets in them shoes. When it’s time to get buckets, I always wear those.”
Nike LeBron 21 “Ring Night” PE
“These are my ring night ceremony shoes. They’re nice little iridescent, the shiny silver with a chrome and gold Swoosh. Can’t go wrong. It signifies our rings, the back-to-back championships.”
Nike LeBron 21 “Hattie Rakes” PE
“These are my grandma PEs, they’re the Hattie Rakes LeBron 21 PEs. A lot of people know my relationship with my grandmother, so I had to give her shoe because she has just inspired me so much to be the person and the player that I am today.”
Nike LeBron 21 “Crushed Velvet” PE
“The little crushed velvet, red and pink. I love these because I’ve never seen a colorway like this on a shoe before, and they have the gum bottoms, and I love me a good gum bottom. This was a little thinking outside the box, and I feel like I never really saw a shoe with this type of texture in basketball. I love a good, fun shoe.”
Nike LeBron 21 “Pink Chrome” PE
“Now this shoe here, my pink chromes, top tier when you talk about a shoe. Pink is my favorite color, and I feel like I love this type of shoe because when I wear it you automatically know it’s me on court because that’s all you see, my hot pink shoes.”
Nike LeBron 21 “Static Shock” PE
“This shoe here, top tier, top notch shoe. It’s my ‘Static Shock’ LeBron 21 shoe. It is one of my favorite shoes I’ve ever worn because I grew up watching ‘Static Shock.’ He was amazing, put a shock to your system. The Swoosh on the shoe has lightning bolts going around it, I think that was a great touch. I think that is the best PE we’ve ever put together, and I’m thankful for it.”
Nike LeBron 21 “Polka Dot” PE
“Now my polka dots, it’s a nice little twist because it kind of signifies the art gallery that I have in South Carolina. I never really saw a shoe with polka dots on so you can identify with me on the court. Watch us play, but also watch my heat on feet, because that’s what I got.”
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.
