October 21, 2023
Locked on Women’s Basketball: Revisiting WNBA Finals MVP A’ja Wilson as a draft prospect
By The Next
'A wizard from the high post'
Our weekly WNBA Retrospect series continues at Locked on Women’s Basketball! The series reviews game film, stats, news articles and more to determine who has been the best prospect in WNBA history. Last week, Hunter Cruse, Em Adler and Lincoln Shafer discussed Jewell Loyd, the No. 1 overall pick in 2015. This week, they discuss the No. 1 pick in 2018, A’ja Wilson.
Continue reading with a subscription to The Next
Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today.
Already a member?
Login
In college at South Carolina, the 6’5 Wilson won a national championship as a junior in 2017. She then averaged 22.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game as a senior. That season, she shot 54.2% from the field and won several national player of the year awards.
The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom
The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.
Here’s Lincoln on what made Wilson a uniquely intriguing prospect in college:
“It takes about 30 seconds of watching A’ja to realize that she’s a special athlete for a 6’4, 6’5 big. She moves so fluidly and so smoothly. She can drive both ways. She is kind of just a wizard from the high post. If you put her at the elbow or at the free-throw line, it’s a bucket. She’s scoring the ball.
“But … one of the things that really sets her apart from other dominant post scorers is that passing. [She] never averaged more than 1.7 assists per game at South Carolina, but she really is adding value passing out of double teams, making skip passes out of post-ups, and finding teammates and creating good looks. … The thing that sets her apart is the athleticism and the passing to me.”
Wilson has played six WNBA seasons, all with the Las Vegas Aces, and has been a force since she entered the league. In 189 career games, she is averaging 19.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 blocks per game on 49.1% shooting from the field. At just 27 years old, she has won two WNBA championships, two MVP awards, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and one Finals MVP award. She is also a five-time All-Star in as many chances (there was no All-Star Game in 2020).
The Next and The Equalizer are teaming up
The Next is partnering with The Equalizer to bring more women’s sports stories to your inbox. Subscribe to The Next now and receive 50% off your subscription to The Equalizer for 24/7 coverage of women’s soccer.
Make sure to subscribe to the Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history and much more!
Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine
Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
