Report: A’ja Wilson, Nike Agree to 6-Year Contract Extension After 3rd WNBA MVP

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson agreed to a six-year contract extension with Nike that’s “one of the richest shoe deals” in women’s basketball, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Alexa Philippou.

Boardroom’s Nick DePaula first reported in May the two sides had extended their partnership, news that coincided with Nike announcing a signature shoe for Wilson that will drop next spring.

Charania and Philippou added that Wilson’s Nike deal will put her up there with the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and USC’s JuJu Watkins. Clark will reportedly get $28 million overall from her eight-year contract with the company.

The absence of a signature shoe deal for Wilson had been a source of consternation for many of her fans. It became harder and harder to understand why younger, less accomplished stars such as Ionescu and Clark received their own exclusive lines from Nike while one of the WNBA’s best players wasn’t afforded the same treatment.

Wilson’s performance on the court in 2024 ensured the launch of her “A’One” sneaker will carry plenty of buzz.

The 28-year-old forward was the unanimous WNBA MVP after averaging 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. She was also the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, putting together one of the single best seasons in league history.

WNBA players across the board will eventually see a major bump in pay. Negotiations between the league and players’ union over a new collective bargaining agreement, one that will reflect the incoming media rights deal, are ongoing.

In the case of Wilson, her off-court earnings will be supplementing her WNBA salary in a big way moving forward.