Both on and off the court, all the elements in A’ja Wilson’s life seem to be in place. From becoming the New York Times best-selling author to one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people to winning the Olympic gold to setting the league’s unprecedented record of reaching 1000 points in a single season, and now, a three-time MVP!
But still, other aspects of Wilson’s off-court life have started to shine brightly now, i.e. having that someone special rooting and looking out for their significant other. So, let’s take a deeper look into Wilson’s dating life as it goes.
A new romance in the making for A’ja Wilson?
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A’ja Wilson’s current off-court life is giving everyone butterflies since her photo with the Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo popped on X with the caption, “Another OFFICIAL picture. Bam Adebayo and A’ja Wilson spotted together in Vegas.” The photo was taken during the men’s national team’s Olympic training camp held in Las Vegas.
Then, Wilson and Adebayo shared a special handshake on the sidelines in Paris after she won the Olympic gold medal, fueling the fire even more. The possibility of their romance grew stronger when a video was shared on X of the two leaving the mall together and driving out of the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, catching the former LA Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal’s attention who shared it on his Instagram stories.
The conjecture, hence, has been growing since then. After Team USA’s Olympics victory, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said something that completely threw caution to the wind. While she presented the Heat star and other local Olympians with the key to the city, she playfully said, “She won gold in women’s basketball. I guess that has something to do with Bam and the Heat, huh? Being here today?”
Since then, the two have been involved in a light, humorous yet adorable give and take on social media. For instance, last week, Adebayo celebrated Wilson’s single-season scoring record achievement of 1000 points with a celebratory post that read, “Hope everybody finds A’thousand reasons to smile on this lovely Sunday.” The joy in his message was apparent on the Aces guard’s mega milestone. Right after this post, Wilson dropped a meme in response with a ‘blushing’ vibe.
Hope everybody finds A’thousand reasons to smile on this lovely Sunday. 😁
— 13am Adebayo (@Bam1of1) September 16, 2024
What gave way to fans’ speculations was when the two were spotted together walking downtown Indianapolis last week. Before this one, Adebayo’s “U’nanimous” tweet was made after Wilson had surpassed Jewell Loyd’s record for most points in a single season. The post translated Adebayo’s affinity towards Wilson for this year’s MVP honor. So far, the two haven’t confirmed publicly about being in a relationship, but the odds are pointing in that direction until confirmed otherwise by the two.
However, this was not the only tale of love that the 3x WNBA MVP has written in her 28 years.
Who was the 2x champ’s first love interest?
Met in high school, A’ja Wilson and Josh Cunningham were together in a long-standing relationship, brought closer by a shared dream of becoming a professional baller. During their college hunt, the two ended up looking at the same school: the University of South Carolina. She then tried to convince Cunningham to consider committing to the Gamecocks. However, he had another option in his mind.
Still, Wilson didn’t give up and urged Josh to explore a bit more of who he was. While they had some awkward moments, they stayed in touch. Eventually, they grew closer and got together around 2018. Then, there came the effort to make each other better. Both being basketball athletes, observing each other game became their thing. Once, without beating around the bush, Wilson straight away asked Cunningham to work on his free throws in a post-game text. But outside the lines, he seemed to be perfect, as Wilson once spoke.
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“Look I can’t tell you how many people I meet in a day, how many people I run into and talk to. But there’s just something about Josh. It’s his personality and who he is as a man that I just really enjoy. I enjoy having him as a boyfriend,” Wilson praised Cunningham as a person.
Fast forward to today, the two never confirmed parting ways. However, they did unfollow each other on social media after 2021. This indeed ignited the rumors of the two breaking up. However, since then, Wilson has certainly elevated her on-court game and ensured her team gets away with the World Championship back-to-back. And who knows, with the right support, she and the Aces will also ‘Bam!’ this year’s WNBA trophy.
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While Cunningham hasn’t been able to replicate his girlfriend’s immense successes the forward isn’t less of a hooper by any means. Averaging 11.5 points and 6.9 rebounds and boasting a 58.2% field goal percentage during his time with Dayton, he was above average, to say the least. The 6’8 star was also a three-time captain for the Flyers and finished his collegiate career with 964 points in three seasons while being ranked 52nd all-time at the University of Dayton.
Now in his prime the chances of Josh making it to the NBA are slim but with his grit and determination, one couldn’t write him off as he continues to play basketball professionally in Europe. Currently suiting up for Kaposvar in Hungary Cunningham will be looking to send shockwaves in the EuroLeague as he looks to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA.
With another MVP season looking likely for A’ja do you think Josh will make it to the NBA? Share your thoughts on the basketballer in the comments below!