A’ja Wilson and Nike have done it again! The 3-time MVP, whose latest award came in 2024 after becoming the first W player to record 1000 points in a single season, is set to launch her signature sneakers, the “A’One,” in May 2026. The process of designing and everything behind-the-scenes has been making some progress and it’s apparently successful enough that Nike has decided to extend their deal!

Sham Charania of ESPN just reported, “Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson – a three-time WNBA MVP and two-time league champion – is signing a six-year contract extension with Nike in one of the richest shoe deals for a women’s basketball player, sources told ESPN.”

The Las Vegas Aces player, who has a reported net worth of $3 million, announced her shoe with Nike in May 2024, having originally signed with the brand as a rookie in 2018. This new deal stands alongside other equally lucrative deals in women’s hoops, that of Caitlin Clark for $28 million and eight years, and Liberty standout Sabrina Ionescu’s multiyear deal for $24 million.

Interestingly, one college star also stands proudly beside these pro athletes – USC star JuJu Watkins. Shams Charania also reported on her contract extension in October, a deal originally signed in 2022. It had also been described as ‘one of the richest shoe endorsement deals’ in women’s basketball and will see a signature shoe line from Watkins.

However, the USC guard’s college rival Paige Bueckers was the first college NIL athlete to launch a Nike Player Edition sneaker in early December.

Meanwhile, Wilson’s expected shoe will hit the shelves in spring next year, before the next season begins. The 28-year-old’s dominant season of course concluded with a third MVP win, also making her only the fourth WNBA player to win the award unanimously. Now with her new title as a Nike signature athlete, she will be making sure to be closely involved in the process of making her shoe line a reality.

“My biggest asks were…”: A’ja Wilson left no stone unturned in her first signature shoe

Whatever sport one plays, their athletic gear plays a huge rule in making them comfortable on the court and giving their best performance. And that is exactly what A’ja Wilson focused on when working with Nike. She wants her shoes to not just be one of the best when hooping but for general use also.

“The design process with Nike was really gratifying, and I didn’t realize how much goes into designing a shoe,” Wilson said, per the official Nike website. “My biggest asks were that the shoe was light and comfortable for all the hours I spend on the court, and that it also looks really good. It’s versatile, and I hope people will wear it when they’re hooping but also just when they’re walking around every day. It’s so exciting to be sharing my signature, a piece of me, with the world.”

When young girls and women or whoever wears the shoe laces them up, the Las Vegas Aces star wants them to feel as if they can do anything. With comfort on their side, A’ja Wilson wants those wearing her shoes to not let anything stop them from achieving their dreams. No wonder fans are pumped!