Why Aces' A'ja Wilson turned down more Unrivaled money than Caitlin Clark
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A little less than two months after the WNBA season, Las Vegas Aces MVP A’ja Wilson is taking some much-needed time off. Before she committed herself to her offseason plans, she was approached by the Unrivaled League. Both Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart run the league and built the roster full of WNBA talent.
Despite the league offering Wilson potentially more money than Caitlin Clark, the Aces star opted out of Unrivaled. A source close to Wilson told the Sports Business Journal some of the factors involved with her decision.
“A'ja just, honestly, she likes to rest her body, she doesn’t want to play year-round,” said the source close to Wilson. “And she’s an outlier of where, just on pure basketball, it’s a 3-on-3 league, it’s not a 5-on-5 league. So that’s one thing. But she’s really busy in the offseason. It just was not a great fit for her.
She made so much history during the 2024 season. As Wilson secured the most points, and most rebounds in a single season in WNBA history, her durability stands out. She played 38 of 40 games while playing a career-high 34.4 minutes per game. Although she’s mentioned numerous times about how she doesn’t like to play basketball in the offseason, Unrivaled’s offer must have been enticing, nonetheless.
What would Aces star A’ja Wilson have done for the Unrivaled League?
Her presence alone would generate many viewers. After all, Wilson accomplished historic feat after historic feat this season. She won the MVP award by a long shot and with gouging numbers. With the league set to begin in January 2025, the former Defensive Player of the Year uses that time off to put in serious work. That same source echoed that sentiment.
"I believe they did offer more [than Clark], because I know what they offered A'ja,” the source close to Wilson said. “They have a lot of money, and they offered her a lot of money. And I was even just like, 'Oh, you sure you don’t want to do this?' But I also understand she really values her offseason. And that’s where she has risen her game. If you haven’t noticed, she’s come back with adding something in her game every season. And that’s where it happens is in the off-season.”
Although the Unrivaled League doesn’t have Clark or Wilson, they hope to make a splash in the offseason. Regardless, old habits never die, and it seems Wilson will use the offseason to unwind from the game yet improve her game simultaneously.
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