Nike unveils WNBA star A’ja Wilson signature collection, including a signature shoe

The GIST: It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson finally has the big-name shoe deal to match her on-court success. Wilson is officially Nike’s latest signature athlete after the brand announced Wilson’s apparel collection on Saturday. The cherry on top? The collection features her signature kick, the A’One. She’s so back.

The details: Over the past year, Wilson has collaborated with Nike’s product and design teams to create a collection that captures her style, performance, and persona. Wilson’s signature collection will feature sizes for women, men, and kids when it debuts in 2025.

• Nike and Wilson had a little fun with this one: the collection can be found at ofcourseihaveashoe.com. The playful marketing campaign refers to the fact that virtually everyone was gagged that the two-time champion and MVP didn’t have a signature shoe. Refresh for receipts.

The context: Having a shoe is a major business and cultural accomplishment, reflecting the power of Wilson’s brand on and off the court. Few women athletes have signature Nike shoe deals, and the landscape is generally sparse: Breanna Stewart and Nike athletes Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark were the only active W players with deals before Wilson’s was announced.

• But college hoopers offer hope for change in this department. The 2023–24 college basketball season began with nine women athletes signed to shoe brands, compared to just two male athletes.

• Plus, Boardroom’s Nick DePaula — who correctly predicted Wilson and Caitlin Clark were due for shoe deals — expects WBB shoe deals to be a 2024 trend, citing “relatability” as the most important trait in building a signature athlete’s brand.

Zooming out: Nike’s long-term work with Wilson proves the shoe space isn’t just reacting to Caitlin Clark–driven hype. Similar to charter flights, things have been in motion. And while Wilson may be the first Black woman with a Nike Basketball shoe since Sheryl Swoopes, the success of this launch will surely kick the door wide open for her peers and other up-and-comers.

• Investing in a sport’s top athlete never fails: It worked for New Balance when Coco Gauff won the US Open, and it’ll work when Wilson takes the court in Tuesday’s season opener. Call her champion.