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via Getty

via Getty

There is no doubt that A’ja Wilson is one of the most competitive WNBA players on the court. However, her off-court charisma is what makes her THE star of the league. Her happy-go-lucky personality never fails to put a smile on everyone’s face. Now, the 2x champ is stepping up in her role to inspire and guide the up-and-coming players in the league. In this case, Chicago rookie Angel Reese.

However, it’s not Wilson’s newfound emotion, as she has been guiding Reese since her time at the University of Maryland. “I saw the potential that she had. She found her own path and her own journey. But she knows that I’m a call away. Even if we’re competitors, like, I’m gonna always be there. So that’s kind of how my mentorship works,” Wilson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Unsurprisingly, Reese reciprocated the feelings.

“I have watched her since she was at South Carolina. She helped me a lot when I was at Maryland. A’ja has been somebody that has inspired me, not just on the court but off the court. She continues to lead the way in so many different ways,” were Angel Reese’s words ahead of the Chicago Sky’s blockbuster game tomorrow against the Las Vegas Aces at the Wintrust Arena.

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This camaraderie has made fans go crazy in love with the two all over again, praising the inspiration and wisdom that Wilson can share with Reese.

A’ja Wilson and Angel Reese’s words of appreciation capture fans’ hearts

“That’s love,” wrote a fan, seeing the rapport Angel Reese has with A’ja Wilson as her mentor. It was only two days ago when Wilson spoke like a true mentor while shedding some light on Angel’s flourishing transition from college to the pros, specifying that Reese has a knack for rebounding, a skill that a lot of people don’t have, and praised her for being consistent on the court despite all the noise off the court.

“Aja is a good role model. IMO the face of the league,” wrote another fan, indicating her as the face of the league. This season, the 2xWNBA champ has been setting the floor on fire as she is breaking some records and setting some career milestones. In the Aces matchup against the Indiana Fever, Wilson made history, becoming the only WNBA player to score 100+ points and 50+ rebounds within 4 games.

During the same matchup, she took things up a notch when she registered her 4th free throw and set the record of 1000 made career free throws in just 193 games. In her next game, she went ahead and dropped another feat, becoming the first player to record a remarkable stat line of 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in 5 consecutive games, the longest such streak in the WNBA’s history. So, this gives the league’s newcomers something to look forward to.

Resorting to the league’s newfound popularity, a fab commented, “It is great that those 2 WNBA players are helping the WNBA to get a lot more attention. It is great that all 12 WNBA Teams are now getting a lot of publicity. All of the new publicity is helping to increase fans & ticket sales, & income for the WNBA. Congrats to the WNBA.” Another wrote, “The Princess and the Queen.

Founded 28 years ago, the WNBA had its first season in 1997. Since then, it hasn’t been able to gather the level of popularity and viewership that it is receiving today. This season, the WNBA games are averaging 1.32 million viewers across networks like ABC, CBS, ESPN, and ESPN2. More than half of all games are selling out, driving a 156% increase as the viewership average has tripled since last season.

Most of the credit goes to this year’s rookie class, however, A’ja, among other WNBA vets, has achieved success off the court through several endeavors. Earlier this year, she received the honor of being listed on Time’s Magazine 100 Most Influential People in the World. Similarly, she beat down the odds with the release of her recent book titled, ‘Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You’ and became the New York Times Best Selling Author.

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In conclusion, A’ja Wilson is setting up an inspirational path for the up-and-coming players. As for Reese, she is carving her own path with vets like Wilson in close vicinity to guide her along the way.

For more such interesting reactions tune into our platform and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video:

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