Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson received heaps of praise after breaking yet another WNBA record on Sunday - but one admirer in particular stood out.
With less than two minutes remaining in the Aces’ 84-71 win over the Connecticut Sun , Wilson hit a contested fadeaway jumper over DeWanna Bonner to become the first player in the history of the WNBA with 1,000 points in a single regular season. Moments after draining the shot, she returned to the bench to embrace her coach and teammates while fighting back tears.
Scores of fans took to social media to commend Wilson on the monumental feat, including Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo . In response to one X user who questioned where his congratulatory tweet was, the three-time NBA All-Star shared a meme of himself looking down with an amused face.
Several hours later, Adebayo gave Wilson her due praise, playing upon the spelling of her first name in the post: “Hope everybody finds A’thousand reasons to smile on this lovely Sunday.”
This isn’t the first time that Adebayo has shouted out Wilson on the heels of an incredible accomplishment. Shortly after the Aces phenom surpassed Jewell Loyd’s record for the most points in a single season last week, he seemingly cast his vote for league MVP, writing on X: “U’nanimous.”
Rumors suggesting Adebayo and Wilson are dating began circulating in the aftermath of the 2024 Paris Olympics . When the former was awarded a key to the city of Miami earlier this month, the latter was in attendance - prompting Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava to make a playful jab regarding her appearance.
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Mere hours after Wilson earned the WNBA single-season scoring title while playing against the Fever, she and Adebayo were spotted “among a group of people on a stroll down Market Street” in downtown Indianapolis, as seen by photos obtained by TMZ Sports .
Wilson and Adebayo seemingly haven’t shied away from hinting at their romantic relationship, either. In response to an Aces social media post of her that used the caption “BAM!” the 28-year-old shared a gif poking fun at the comment.
For now, however, Wilson is more concerned with her play on the basketball court than her life off of it. Entering play Monday, she leads the WNBA in points (27) and blocks (2.6) per game, while additionally ranking second in rebounds (12) and fourth in steals (1.8).
Despite already winning two MVP awards and two WNBA titles, Wilson asserted that there’s always areas for improvement. "I really try to pinpoint little things," she told reporters. "Everyone can come in and say, 'Oh, I want to win a championship.' But what are the little things you're going to do to get to that point? That's what I want to be great in.
“I really have to credit my offseason work and my preparation. I take time to get away from basketball, to let me miss it. So then when I'm in it, I don't take it for granted. My screensaver is, 'Rest at the end, not in the middle,' and that's something I tell myself every single day. I got work to do, that that's going to be my mindset until I'm done playing, until I've squeezed everything out of this game."
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