Las Vegas Aces

A'ja Wilson's first signature shoe has been unveiled by Nike ahead of its release this spring.

Nike released images of the A'One sneaker with the "Pink Aura" colorway that will drop in May.

Nike has unveiled @_ajawilson22’s first signature sneaker, the A’One 👏

Her “Pink Aura” launch colorway is set to release May 2025 pic.twitter.com/B0E5NU4MS7

— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) February 4, 2025

Wilson added there will be different colorways coming soon, as well as different sizes, slides and an apparel collection.

https://twitter.com/_ajawilson22/status/1886793315074396488

Wilson first announced she was getting a signature shoe in May 2024:

"It's been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection, and it really is an honor to take this next step and become a Nike signature athlete. From my logo to the look of the shoe and the pieces throughout the collection, we've worked to make sure every detail is perfectly tuned to my game and style."

The three-time WNBA MVP originally signed a sponsorship deal with Nike in 2018. She signed a six-year extension with the apparel giant in December that was one of the richest shoe deals for a women's basketball player, per ESPN's Shams Charania and Alexa Phillippou.

Wilson will become the third active WNBA player with a signature shoe with the A'One releases, joining Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart. Caitlin Clark will also have her own signature shoe with Nike, but details about a release date have not been made available.

While Nike didn't have a specific release date for the A'One, it will likely be made available on or around the start of the 2025 WNBA season on May 16.

Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces will begin the season on May 17 against the defending champion New York Liberty at Barclays Center. The Liberty ended Vegas' quest for a three-peat by beating them in four games in the postseason semifinals.

Kelsey Plum is bidding farewell to the Las Vegas Aces after six seasons and back-to-back championships.

The three-time All-Star, who was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, said it has been "an incredible journey to be part of the Aces organization" in a Friday post on her Instagram.

Kelsey Plum’s heartfelt goodbye to the Aces 🖤 pic.twitter.com/dUpAJtXrUu

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 31, 2025

"Vegas is much more than the strip," Plum wrote. "It is a community of incredible people that have a real zest for life, and it is a true basketball town. The support and loyalty the city has for the Aces is incredible, and I'm so grateful that I got a chance to experience that love."

Plum concluded: "Now this chapter closes and our time together comes to an end, but I'll never forget my time in Vegas, nor the profound impact it's had on my life."

The star player also posted a video of herself wearing a Sparks jersey on Saturday:

pic.twitter.com/sXUsnjKPpF

— Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) February 1, 2025

Plum was traded last weekend as part of a three-team deal that sent former Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd to the Aces.

The Storm originally selected Loyd at the top of the 2015 WNBA draft, two years before Plum was drafted first in 2017.

The deal marked the first time in WNBA history two former No. 1 picks were moved as part of the same trade, according to ESPN's Alexa Philippou.

The Aces were known as the San Antonio Spurs when they drafted Plum in 2017. She stayed with the club through the move to Las Vegas the following year, spending three seasons averaging fewer than 10 points per game before missing the 2020 season with an Achilles injury.

After winning the 2021 Sixth Woman of the Year Award for her successful return to the Aces' reserves, Plum resumed her former starting role for her last three years with the team.

She averaged 18.9 points per game through her final three regular seasons with the Aces, and 17.4 points per game through three subsequent playoff runs.

Plum departs from the Aces ranked second in franchise history with 946 career assists and fourth with 3,368 career points. She joins perennial MVP candidate A'ja Wilson as the only player to record a 40-point game for the Aces.

The trade will now split up Wilson and Plum, who played together not only in Las Vegas but on the U.S. Olympic team.

NBC Sports' Callie Fin reported that Wilson and Loyd have a "close relationship," and that Wilson's voice may have "weighed heavily" in the Aces' trade decision. The Aces will now look to build on that relationship and contend for a title again in 2025.

Plum is meanwhile headed to the Sparks, a team still figuring out how to rebuild after losing star players including Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike over the last five years. After playing behind Wilson in Las Vegas, Plum could be set to become the go-to option on the Los Angeles offense.

Some of the WNBA's biggest stars are reportedly on the move with a major three-team trade.

On Sunday, ESPN's Shams Charania, Ramona Shelburne, Alexa Philippou and Kendra Andrews reported the Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks completed a trade that sent Jewell Loyd to the Aces and Kelsey Plum to the Sparks.

Charania noted there is also plenty of high-profile draft compensation being included in the move:

The Storm are acquiring the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft and Li Yueru from the Sparks in this three-team trade, with the Sparks getting No. 9 from Seattle and the Aces receiving No. 13 from LA, sources tell me, @ramonashelburne, @alexaphilippou and @kendra__andrews. https://t.co/Di1CWmMyTF

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2025

While the draft picks are notable, especially the No. 2 selection that could allow the Storm to pick someone such as Olivia Miles or Sonia Citron from Notre Dame, Loyd and Plum are the headliners of the deal.

Plum has been with Las Vegas since the 2018 season and was a key part of the star-studded lineups that won back-to-back championships during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The combination of A'ja Wilson, Plum, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and others made the Aces unstoppable at times.

While they will miss Plum's presence, Loyd is also one of the league's best perimeter players and should step right into the lineup in effective fashion.

She has been with the Storm her entire career since she was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 WNBA draft and built a resume that includes two championships, a Rookie of the Year, six All-Star selections, three All-WNBA nods and a scoring title.

That scoring title came in 2023 when she posted 24.7 points per game, and she followed that effort up with 19.7 points a night last season. The Aces will once again be in title-or-bust mode in 2025, and Loyd is someone who can take full advantage of all the spacing that comes from the double teams Wilson faces.

As for Plum, she brings plenty of star power to a Sparks team looking to turn the corner and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season.

Plum's resume includes two championships, an All-WNBA selection and three All-Star nods, and she could take on even more responsibility with her new team now that she is no longer teammates with Wilson and others in Las Vegas.

There was already reason for optimism in Los Angeles with Cameron Brink (No. 2 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft) and Rickea Jackson (No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft) as young building blocks.

Now they have a veteran and a champion to help them compete in the immediate future as they look to establish themselves as a force in the playoff race.

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson agreed to a six-year contract extension with Nike that's "one of the richest shoe deals" in women's basketball, according to ESPN's Shams Charania and Alexa Philippou.

Boardroom's Nick DePaula first reported in May the two sides had extended their partnership, news that coincided with Nike announcing a signature shoe for Wilson that will drop next spring.

A’ja Wilson’s signature sneaker, Nike A’One, is coming in 2025 🔥🙌

(via @_ajawilson22) pic.twitter.com/qriVDHVMgK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 11, 2024

Charania and Philippou added that Wilson's Nike deal will put her up there with the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark, New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu and USC's JuJu Watkins. Clark will reportedly get $28 million overall from her eight-year contract with the company.

The absence of a signature shoe deal for Wilson had been a source of consternation for many of her fans. It became harder and harder to understand why younger, less accomplished stars such as Ionescu and Clark received their own exclusive lines from Nike while one of the WNBA's best players wasn't afforded the same treatment.

Wilson's performance on the court in 2024 ensured the launch of her "A'One" sneaker will carry plenty of buzz.

The 28-year-old forward was the unanimous WNBA MVP after averaging 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. She was also the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, putting together one of the single best seasons in league history.

WNBA players across the board will eventually see a major bump in pay. Negotiations between the league and players' union over a new collective bargaining agreement, one that will reflect the incoming media rights deal, are ongoing.

In the case of Wilson, her off-court earnings will be supplementing her WNBA salary in a big way moving forward.

The Unrivaled women's basketball league is losing one of its marquee players before the first season starts.

On Wednesday, Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum revealed in an Instagram story (h/t ESPN) that she will not be playing in the 3-on-3 league after all despite initially saying she would participate.

"I've decided to not take part in the inaugural season of Unrivaled in order to take some more time for myself this offseason," Plum posted. "I appreciate the league understanding and being so accommodating. I wish the league and all of the players nothing but the best and I'm excited to watch!"

The veteran was a key part of Las Vegas teams that won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023 and then appeared in 44 WNBA games, counting the playoffs, in 2024. She also helped the United States take home the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which happened during the middle of the WNBA season.

She was slated to be a headline name on the Laces roster, which also includes Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Courtney Williams, Kate Martin and Stefanie Dolson.

The league debuts on Jan. 17 and will have six teams, although ESPN noted Plum's decision means Unrivaled is three players short of filling out the six full rosters.

There are a number of headline players participating, including co-founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, as well as Arike Ogunbowale, Aliyah Boston, Jewell Loyd, Dearica Hamby, Kahleah Copper and Brittney Griner.

Players receive equity in the league, which has a total salary pool of more than $8 million.

Plum is one of the most notable players in the WNBA with a resume that includes two championships, three All-Star nods and two Olympic gold medals. She averaged 17.8 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds last season.

The University of Washington announced that it will retire Kelsey Plum's No. 10 jersey during a ceremony on Jan. 18, when the Huskies women's basketball team hosts Purdue.

Plum, now a member of the Las Vegas Aces, will be the first Washington women's basketball player to have her number retired.

The jersey retirement will be part of a "Forever 10 celebration" honoring Plum's legacy and impact on Husky sports. In addition, she'll be honored and recognized between the first and second quarter of Washington's Homecoming football game against USC on Saturday.

Plum, who played for Washington from 2013-2017, became the NCAA's all-time scoring leader with 3,527 points. For her career, Plum averaged 25.4 points per game, including 31.7 PPG during her 2016-17 senior year. She broke the single-season NCAA scoring record that season as well (1,109 points). Plum earned first-team All-America honors and swept all the major Player of the Year awards as well in the 2016-17 campaign.

Her single-season and career scoring records stood until 2023-24, when Iowa's Caitlin Clark broke both.

Plum's collegiate accolades also include a 57-point game against Utah on Feb. 25, 2017, when she broke the NCAA all-time scoring record. The year before, Plum also led Washington to its first-ever Final Four appearance.

Plum, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft, has shined in her professional career. She won the WNBA championship twice with the Aces and earned two Olympic gold medals with Team USA in 2021 (3x3) and 2024 (5x5).

The Las Vegas Aces announced that they are parting ways with general manager Natalie Williams. Las Vegas is restructuring its front office, and Williams' contract will not be renewed.

"It has been a joy and honor to serve as General Manager of the Las Vegas Aces," Williams said in a statement.

"Winning two WNBA Championships with this incredible group of players and staff has been a dream come true. I want to thank Mark Davis and the Aces Organization for the incredible opportunity to help lead this franchise. I love the WNBA, and it has been wonderful watching the growth of the game. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead."

The Aces wished Williams farewell upon her exit.

Thank you, Natalie ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fuxHI3mvO5

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) October 26, 2024

Aces president Nikki Fargas offered these remarks.

"We are incredibly grateful for Natalie's invaluable efforts in helping build the Aces into the premier franchise in the WNBA. Her time with the organization extends back to the league's formative years in Utah, and she will forever be a part of our history, having left an indelible mark as both a player and an executive. We wish the best for Natalie and her family."

Williams joined the Aces in 2022, and the team won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. This year's squad reached the semifinals before falling to the eventual WNBA champion New York Liberty.

At this time, it's unclear what the Aces' front office restructure will look like, or who will take over the lead basketball operations role.

But the Williams departure is another big move in the 12-team WNBA, which now has five head coach and three GM openings, per Meghan L. Hall of USA Today's For The Win.

On the surface, Williams leaving Las Vegas is surprising. The team has won the championship twice in her three years. Granted, last season ended with a tough semifinal loss and a fourth-place finish in the standings, but the Aces have still been the league's top team since 2022.

Las Vegas did have the championship core in place before Williams arrived, as three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum were all on the team by then.

But the Aces did pick up key talents in free agency since then, including Sixth Woman of the Year Alysha Clark in 2023 and Tiffany Hayes in 2024.

However, Las Vegas hasn't had the best draft record in recent years.

Since Natalie Williams was hired as GM:

- Mya Hollingshed: 2022, No. 8 pick
- Kierstan Bell: 2022, No. 11 pick
- Khayla Pointer: 2022, No. 13 pick
- Dyaisha Fair: 2024, No. 16 pick https://t.co/V8pgZoNyP6

— Hunter Cruse (@HunterCruse14) October 26, 2024

Las Vegas did land former Iowa star Kate Martin in the second round, though, and she was a member of this year's rotation.

Regarding other parts of Williams' record, one fan also noted some issues with Williams' moves (or lack thereof).

Sat on her hands & watched other teams get better. Chelsea was out 12 games, Natalie could’ve signed Odyssey Sims. They knew A’ja needed help in the post. They could’ve signed Mo Billings. Didn’t make any trades @ the deadline either.

— “Dachelle” (@djvsdachelle) October 26, 2024

Williams was once a phenomenal player, starring on the collegiate, professional and international levels. She was a two-time All-American at UCLA, a four-time WNBA All-Star, a gold medal winner for Team USA in the 2000 Summer Olympics and a two-time World Cup winner (1998, 2002).

Williams posted 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game from 1999-2005 with the Utah Starzz and Indiana Fever.

LeBron James has been impressed by the WNBA's rising popularity and revealed his reverence for Las Vegas Aces star and league MVP A'ja Wilson.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar told Rachel Bachman of The Wall Street Journal that Wilson is "the head honcho of the league" and mentioned that the association's growing audience is "long overdue."

"I could go on and on and on, of how many great players are in the WNBA," James said. "There's some great storylines, things of that nature, some great players. So I think that's the reason that the league is getting a lot of attention."

Wilson won the third MVP award of her career in 2024, helping the Aces make their sixth consecutive playoff appearance.

She set a new WNBA single-season scoring record, averaging 26.9 points per game and finishing the year with a total of 1,021 points. Wilson also recorded a career-high 11.9 rebounds to go along with 2.6 blocks per game, shooting 51.8 percent from the field.

James hasn't been shy about complimenting her, calling out her accomplishments on the court throughout her 2024 campaign.

STRAIGHT 🪣’s!!! CONGRATULATIONS SIS! Love to see it!!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🫡🤎 https://t.co/iqKILkH2yv

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 12, 2024

Lil sis going crazy right now!!!! @_ajawilson22 😤😤💪🏾

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 28, 2024

GAME BLOUSES!!!!! @_ajawilson22 😤💪🏾🫡

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 25, 2024

The respect between the two stars is mutual, as Wilson recently praised James for his performances on the United States men's national team leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

https://twitter.com/_ajawilson22/status/1815505732705624449

Wilson and the rest of the league's top players, along with a stellar 2024 rookie class headlined by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, helped the WNBA experience an immensely successful year.

The WNBA announced that it attracted an all-time record of more than 54 million unique viewers across ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION and NBA TV during the 2024 season. The league's total attendance of 2,353,735 was also the highest in 22 years and represented a 48 percent increase from 2023.

Although Wilson and the Aces were prevented from a three-peat following a playoff defeat at the hands of the New York Liberty, the league has continued to break records. The Game 1 WNBA Finals matchup between the Liberty and Minnesota Lynx drew 1.34 million viewers, representing the new most-viewed Finals contest on ABC.

Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson discussed the similarities between herself and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese following a promising rookie season from Reese.

Wilson revealed to Rachel Bachman of The Wall Street Journal that she became aware of Reese during her college days at Maryland.

"My good friend actually was coaching her at that time, so that's how I honestly started to follow Angel, and I saw a little bit of myself in her," Wilson said (h/t Jack Winter of Athlon Sports). "No matter what I do, I'm gonna make sure that I go all out and I give it 100 percent. And I saw that, just the motor that she has, I was like, 'Oh yeah, that is young A'ja 100 percent.'"

Before Reese won a national championship with LSU, she was an integral part of Terrapins teams that made consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in 2021 and 2022.

The 22-year-old was selected by the Sky with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, putting together an impressive rookie season before it came to an early end due to a wrist injury.

In 34 starts, she averaged 13.6 points to go along with a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game. Wilson was the only other player in the WNBA to finish the regular season with a double-digit rebounding average.

Angel Reese went off in Chicago’s win over the LA Sparks!

24 PTS
12 REB
2 AST
1 STL
1 3PM
9-15 FG

The rook also recorded her 26th double-double of the season and is just three shy of the WNBA record!#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/3UVaiST3oG

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 7, 2024

Reese initially set a new single-season rebounding record by pulling down 446 boards, but her record was broken by Wilson a few weeks later after she was unable to complete her inaugural year in the league.

Although the Aces' quest for a third straight title came to an end during the 2024 playoffs, Wilson still wrapped up another incredible season. She won the third MVP award of her career and averaged a career-high 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game on 51.8/31.7/84.4 shooting splits.

Wilson also finished No. 2 in WNBA Defensive Player of the Year voting, averaging 1.8 steals and 2.6 blocks per contest.

A'JA WILSON SENDS IT BACK 🚫🫸

3 blocks on the day for the MVP as the Aces look to gain the lead.

📺 Liberty-Aces on ABC | #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/VwnplyQBOd

— WNBA (@WNBA) October 6, 2024

As Reese looks to help Chicago return to the playoffs next season, she's already receiving praise from one of the best players in the sport.

Las Vegas Aces star won the WNBA MVP award Monday, the league announced. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. Text text text text text. New Text.

A'ja Wins Another MVP

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Napheesa Collier Is the Best of the Rest

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All stats via WNBA.com.