A’ja Wilson has had a year most athletes can only dream of — another WNBA title with the Las Vegas Aces, more Olympic gold, and now Time’s Athlete of the Year for 2025.
But instead of soaking in the praise quietly, the 29-year-old used the moment to reopen a conversation she’s been having—with the league, with fans, and really with anyone who follows women’s basketball—about how the sport’s history gets talked about.
When New Fame Overshadows Old Battles
Wilson didn’t sugarcoat her feelings about Caitlin Clark’s explosive rise in 2024, which she believes nearly wiped away years of struggle and progress made by long-established players.
She’s said it before, but she reiterated it to Time: it wasn’t jealousy, and it wasn’t insecurity.
To her, the sudden tidal wave of attention around Clark seemed to make parts of the league’s past vanish overnight.
Her message was more of a reminder than a rant: don’t forget the women who clawed through the early years, who kept the league afloat, who pushed the game forward when few people were paying attention.
A Star Athlete Who’s Not Afraid of Hard Truths
Wilson, never one to shrink from difficult topics, pointed back to comments she made during “Clark mania” in mid-2024.
At the time, she suggested that the enthusiasm surrounding the Indiana Fever rookie had a lot to do with race—how a young white star was suddenly everywhere while Black players, who’ve been dominating for years, often struggled for the same spotlight.
“It wasn’t about me,” she told Time. “My resume speaks for itself.
But it felt like our history, our grind, got pushed aside for a minute. And that didn’t sit right with me.”
The Rough Reality of Clark’s Rookie Year
Clark’s introduction to the league wasn’t smooth, either.
She took her fair share of physical punishment, some of it just part of the game, some of it crossing a clear line.
The moment everyone remembers? Chennedy Carter barging into her from behind during a break in play — a hit that had fans and analysts replaying the clip for days.
Growth That Goes Beyond One Player
Despite Clark missing most of the 2025 season with an injury, viewership still climbed.
And for Wilson, that was proof of something she has always believed: women’s basketball has a strong foundation that doesn’t disappear when one headline name is off the court.
“We just needed confirmation,” she said. “And the numbers showed it.
Fans stayed. The league grew. This was our time to really blossom.”
Returning to a Deeper, Uncomfortable Layer
The debate around race wasn’t new in 2025, and Wilson didn’t pretend otherwise.
Back in May 2024, she told the Associated Press that the conversation couldn’t be separated from how Clark’s fame ballooned so quickly.
She felt that the work, toughness, and excellence of Black players often didn’t get the same spotlight, even when the skill was equal — or better.
Her words were blunt: no matter how hard Black women work, it sometimes feels like there’s a ceiling placed there by people outside the court.
Clark’s Own Reflection on Privilege
To her credit, Clark didn’t dodge the topic when she earned the very award Wilson now holds.
She openly acknowledged that being white helped accelerate her visibility in ways many of her peers never experienced.
She pointed out that the league’s roots run deep with the talents of Black athletes — players who built the league, carried it, and continue to elevate it.
She said she sees it as part of her responsibility to help ensure brands and fans recognize and invest in those women as well.
Two Stars, One Complicated but Necessary Dialogue
What emerges from both women’s comments isn’t animosity — it’s a tension the league has long lived with.
Wilson wants the pioneers and veterans to be recognized.
Clark wants to use her platform to bring attention to those same players.
And together, intentionally or not, they’re forcing a wider audience to reckon with the reality of how race, media, and marketability intersect in women’s sports.