When the LV Aces star A’ja Wilson was six, she encountered a major turning point in her life. Wilson had transferred from the Hopkins School to Heathwood Hall in South Carolina, which was known to be predominantly white. Nonetheless, Wilson soon found herself to be a part of a group. However, when the girls decided to have a sleepover in one of her friend’s homes, Roscoe’s daughter was informed that she would have to sleep outside the house due to her friend’s father’s bias. This incident changed how Wilson looked at the world and the then-introvert A’ja realized what every other person of color goes through.

Hence, the highest single-season scorer naturally developed a liking for her teammate Kelsey Plum, who is known to endorse equality. However, when she informed Plum of the same in a now-resurfaced video, her comments weren’t taken in a positive light by fans who slammed her, and the current MVP had to justify her thought process.

“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,” Wilson had commented back then in a video posted by the House of Highlights.

Notably, Wilson had got a lot of backlash for her appreciation of Plum back then. According to the fans, the LV Aces center’s applause was, in a way, degrading Plum and the UConn star Paige Bueckers where the 28-year-old subtly tried to check their privilege if the critics were to be believed. According to them, the Dawn Staley mentee was trying to subdue their achievements and instead pointing out that they were popular because they belonged to a particular group.

Then, some fans even called out Wilson’s past, expressing that she too went to a private school which could be considered a privilege by many and hence her success too had come easily. But what did Wilson exactly say that incited her haters?

The backstory of A’ja Wilson’s comments

Plum had notably come forward to speak against the perpetrator during the Black Lives Matter Movement. Her Instagram post acknowledged her ‘privilege’ and she accepted that she would “never be able to understand or feel the racial injustices black people face.” Plus the 30-year-old even fired shots against those who had chosen silence in moments of unrest. “I know that silence is a form of racism.”

If that incident didn’t show her deep-seated empathy for her sisters, she also signed a deal with Under Armour, a brand that is known to celebrate Black History Month. Maybe, the brand’s goals aligned with those of Plum’s. Hence, when Wilson was attending an NCAA game this year in April, she complimented Plum for being a crusader for rights and equality, while comparing her to the NCAA star Paige Bueckers.

“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,” Wilson enunciated in the viral video.

For the unversed, Bueckers’s half-brother, Drew is also of color. Hence, she too had advocated for equal rights during the Black Lives Matter movement. While giving an acceptance speech during the 2021 ESPYS, the 2025 WNBA draft projected number one pick shed light on the struggles of black women and appreciated the value they brought to the table.

Citing her experience in seeing “mistreatment of minorities,” the Geno Auriemma mentee includes them in her conversations. And for her, every fight against preferential treatment is personal and worth indulging in despite the backlash that comes with it. And maybe it was this undying support for the communities that made Wilson compare Plum and Bueckers.

Hopefully, fans would understand that Wilson wasn’t trying to downplay her teammates’ achievements and instead appreciate her point of view. As for Plum, she can find peace in the fact that her brilliant teammate loves her more than ever.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.