Introduction
A’ja Riyadh Wilson who was born on 8th August 1996 is an American professional basketball player. A’ja Wilson won her first WNBA MVP in 2020, & in the same year, she won her first Olympic gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics. After two years she helped lead the Aces to their first title in franchise history. The same performance she repeated in 2023 while earning Finals MVP.
On 7th July 2024, in a matchup against the Dallas Wings, A’ja became the Aces’ all-time leading scorer in franchise history. She is also a New York Times best-selling author who won the gold medal in basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics. On 15th September 2024, she became the first WNBA player to score 1,000 points in a season & there she had 29 in the Las Vegas Aces’ 84–71 win over the Connecticut Sun. Also Read Mark Sears Net worth
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
Real Name | A’ja Riyadh Wilson |
Nick Name | A’ja Wilson |
Date of Birth | 8th August, 1996. |
Birthplace | Columbia, South Carolina. |
Age | 28 years old. |
Height | 6 Feet 4 Inches / 193.04 Cm. |
Weight | 88 Kgs/195 Lbs. |
Hair Color | Silver |
Nationality | American. |
Star Sign | Leo |
Profession | Professional Basketball Player. |
Position | Center. |
League | WNBA |
High school | Heathwood Hall Episcopal (Columbia, South Carolina) College South Carolina (2014–2018). |
WNBA Draft | 2018: 1st round 1st overall pick Selected by the Las Vegas Aces. |
Playing Career | 2018–present. |
Career History | 2018–present (Las Vegas Aces) 2018–2019 (Shaanxi Red Wolves). |
Gender | Female. |
Religion | Christian. |
Qualification | She completed her major in mass communications at the University of South Carolina, & has completed her graduation in May 2018. |
Sexual Orientation | Bisexual |
Relationship Status | She is in a long-term relationship with basketball player, Josh Cunningham. |
Marital Status | Unmarried. |
Kids | None |
Net Worth | $ 3 Million (INR 25.24 Cr) |
Last Updated | November 2024. |
A’ja Wilson Early Life
She was born on 8th August 1996, to her parents Roscoe Jr. and Eva Wilson. Her middle name Riyadh came from the Saudi Arabian capital where her maternal aunt was deployed in Operation Desert Storm.She spent her grade school and high school years as one of the few black students in Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, a southern Columbia private school. Must Read Candace Parker Net Worth
College Career
A’ja played in 37 games her freshman year, leading to four single-game freshman records in the SEC. Apart from that three single-season freshman records in the SEC, and won the SEC Freshman of the Year award. In 2016 she won her first SEC Player of the Year award and was a consensus All-American. After that led the Gamecocks to a SEC regular season and Tournament Championship. In 2017, she once again led the Gamecocks to a SEC regular season and Tournament championship.
After that, she went on to win the school’s first national championship with a stirring victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the championship game. A’ja Wilson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament & in 2018, she had her best season when she won all of the National Player of the Year awards. Along with this, she won a record-straight SEC Player of the Year award and also was a Consensus All-American for the third straight year. She finished her college career at South Carolina as the all-time leading scorer for the school. Also Read Lauren Betts Net Worth
Professional Career
WNBA
In 2018, she was drafted first overall by the Las Vegas Aces & on 20th May, in her career debut, A’ja scored 14 points along with 10 rebounds in a 101–65 loss to the Connecticut Sun. Next month she scored a career-high of 35 points along with 13 rebounds in a 101–92 overtime victory against the Indiana Fever. By doing so she also became the second rookie in league history to score 35 points and grab 10 rebounds.
She also would be voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game & after that, she also would be named the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
In 2022, A’ja Wilson would win her second MVP and first Defensive Player of the Year award, with an average of 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while leading the league with 17 double-doubles. She also helped the Aces to their second finals appearance in three seasons, & there they would defeat the Connecticut Sun in four games, giving her first championship.On 30th June 2023, she signed a contract extension with the Aces to keep herself in Las Vegas.
On 5th June 2024, in the match-up against the Dallas Wings, she became the first player to have at least 35+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ steals in a single game in WNBA history. The same year in September she also set the single-season scoring record against the Indiana Fever. Also Read Dereck Lively Net Worth
National Team Career
2020 Summer Olympics
In March 2020, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government postponed the 2020 Summer Olympics until the summer of 2021 due to COVID-19. On 21st June 2021, she was named to the 12-player roster for Team USA for the 2020 Summer Olympics. She along with her team USA went on to win the gold medal in the tournament, & defeated Japan 90–75 in the final. At the end of the tournament, she was also named to FIBA’s All-Star Five team for her performance in the tournament.
2024 Summer Olympics
In June 2024, A’ja Wilson was once again named to the US women’s Olympic team to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, with her teammates, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young. They led their country to defeat France 67–66 in the final. It was her second gold medal and the United States’ eighth consecutive gold medal. After this performance she was named the MVP of the tournament & after leading Team USA. She was then also named to FIBA’s All-Star Five tea. Must Read Grace Berger Net Worth
Personal Life
Her mother, Eva Rakes Wilson, worked as a court stenographer and for the Richland County School District 1 & her father, Roscoe Wilson Jr., played college basketball at Benedict College. She has an older brother named Renaldo, who also played professionally She completed her major in mass communications at the University of South Carolina, & has completed her graduation in May 2018.
Net worth & Salary
Her on-court amazing performance has earned her so many awards which include multiple All-Star selections, MVP honours, and leading her team to victory on multiple occasions.Beyond her achievements in the game, her recent deal with Nike made a huge turning point in her career. Also Read Klay Thompson Net Worth
Along with her status as a bonafide superstar both on and off the hardwood.Apart from the endorsements and business collaboration, she has made her net worth $ 3 Million (INR 25.24 Cr) as of 2024. With her current salary of $200,000 (INR1.68 Cr) per season, she ranks among the league’s top earners. Also Read Cassandre Prosper Net Worth
Social Media
275.2K Follwers | Check Out | |
1.3 Million | Check Out | |
51K Followers | Check Out | |
Youtube Channel | 1.16K Subscribers | Check Out |
Last Updated | November 2024 |
FAQ
Q. What is A’ja Wilson’s salary?
Ans:- Her current salary of $200,000 (INR1.68 Cr) per season, she ranks among the league’s top earners.