A’ja Wilson and the Aces are down 2-0 and are on the brink of losing their three-peat dreams. Amidst the on-court tensions, the unanimous MVP’s previous comment on Kelsey Plum and Paige Bueckers resurfaced before Game 2 against the New York Liberty. On social media, it caused a huge uproar as many felt the Aces Center was not gelling with her fellow athletes. Many fans started running a background check on Wilson to explore her childhood.

We all know the journey of the South Carolina native and her collegiate achievements. But long before that, while she was in fourth grade, her parents withdrew her from native Hopkins school. And that changed the game for the 3x WNBA MVP.

A sneak peek into A’ja Wilson and her schooling background

Eva and Roscoe Wilson decided that the Heathwood Hall Episcopal School was the next best option for their daughter. Even though it is a private school, A’ja Wilson wasn’t immune to people’s biases. Despite her struggles, fans pointed out that she studied in a private school and how it was already a privileged situation for her.

“If you were to put your child through school from 1st grade high school at Heathwood today, it would cost almost $260K! Talk about privilege…” wrote an X user. But does private school education safeguard children from any prejudice?

The school at the time was predominately white, yet the young Wilson was part of a group. But she soon got a reality check. During one of the birthday party sleepovers, A’ja Wilson was told that she could attend the party, but there was a condition. Her friend told her that she would have to sleep outside the house, because of her father’s biased nature. The young girl became an introvert, having learned life lessons the hard way. Something the 3x MVP talks about in her book, ‘Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You’ as a message to lift women and girls everywhere.

The 2x DPOY once even spoke about the issues her grandmother faced. During the ceremony unveiling her statue, A’ja Wilson said, “When she (her grandmother) was a child, she could not even walk on the grounds of the University of South Carolina.” She continued, “If only she were here today to see the same grounds she had to walk around is the same grounds where that houses a statue of her granddaughter.”

The South Carolina native knows how it feels not to be heard or seen. So why would people feel that Wilson was disrespectful? After all, she had already clarified her stance on those comments months ago.

How private education led to public scrutiny for A’ja Wilson

Social media never leaves anyone alone, and it did not back down from chasing Wilson either. Previously, while attending an NCAA game, the 2x WNBA champ commended Bueckers and Plum. However, that is not how the WNBA world took it. Then, she had said, “Us, as black women, Paige reminds me a lot of you. Like, if you say, ‘It’s not really about me.’ She knows. And she knows how her privilege has gotten her to that point. And also, she’s good at basketball, obviously. Like, she understands her privilege. It’s like what pushes her over the top in a sense. It reminds me a lot of you. And I mean, that’s a compliment.”

In that video, Plum nods to her teammate and even says “Thank you” which again some people felt unnecessary. After seeing the highlight clip, Wilson took to her social handles to post, “lmfao yall jumping on me for saying Paige & Kelsey are great allies for black women is crazy but it’s okay… I appreciate & respect them both!! @paigebueckers @kelseyplum10.”

The 2023 Finals MVP had made it clear that she had no intention of disrespecting Plum and Bueckers. That’s why she has not spoken about the matter. But does she need to clarify her stance once again? After all this time and after proving to everyone that she indeed stands beside her teammate Plum.