It was during the 2015-2016 college season that A’ja Wilson first discovered that Dawn Staley had once headlined her own signature line with Nike. “She was like, ‘My logo is on it, isn’t it!?!’ I was like, ‘You’re right. That is your shoe!’” Wilson recalled in an Andscape interview about Nike’s Air Zoom S5.
Staley, a WNBA legend in her own right, had a signature sneaker of her own back in 1999. As Wilson’s mentor at South Carolina, she has never been one to sugarcoat her thoughts. So when she shared her brutally honest review of the A’One, Wilson was on edge.
The three-time MVP specifically thought back to her beloved college coach and former Nike signature headliner when discussing her shoe. “I remember Coach Staley used to yell at me when I was being average. But I don’t want anything average,” Wilson said. “I wanted my shoe to be perfect because it deserves to be perfect. It deserves its own moment. Because this shoe is real. And these don’t happen often. So, if we’re gonna do it, let’s do it big.”
And there she was, unveiling her first signature shoe just days after her jersey retirement. Inspired by her grandmother-gifted pearls and prioritizing comfort, the A’One sneaker debuted in the Pink Aura colorway. To Wilson’s delight, a part of it hit the mark for the head coach.
“Comfortable! I don’t like basketball shoes. I like comfort at my age. And I actually can wear them. I can wear them anywhere & feel like I don’t need to take them off,” she said in a conversation shared by Matt Dowell. Well, that was what A’ja was going for! The Las Vegas Aces star has emphasized often that ‘comfortability’ is one major aspect of her design. With cushioning, traction, fit, and support, Wilson has worked with Nike to bring about a shoe, “fun, low, sleek but also very comfortable.”
But, Staley wasn’t entirely sold on Wilson’s debut colorway. “Pink? Yeah, I don’t know if pink is my color,” she quipped. “But hopefully, they’ll make up a colorway that we can all appreciate.”
Dawn Staley on her new @_ajawilson22 A’Ones:
“Comfortable! I don’t like basketball shoes. I like comfort at my age. And I actually can wear them. I can wear them anywhere & feel like I don’t need to take them off.”@GamecockWBB | @nikebasketball | @wachfox pic.twitter.com/by8tYbNtGq
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) February 5, 2025
For Wilson, hearing this feedback from her ex-coach was nerve-wracking. Staley’s opinion means everything to her, and she knew that if Staley wasn’t impressed, she wouldn’t hesitate to pull her aside and say so.
After seeing Staley’s reaction, Wilson took to X to express just how much her coach’s approval meant. “Coach wearing my shoe made me nervous cause she’s someone who will be OD honest with me and if she didn’t like them she would pull me aside and let me know. So this stamp of approval is top tier.”
A’ja Wilson says she and the team worked for two years to create her first shoes. Per her father, it is a reflection of the 2024 MVP’s long-time vision and the meticulous approach she has embraced since she was a kid. So you know what Staley’s reaction meant to her. Wilson hasn’t let a chance slip by and it shows.
A’ja Wilson prefers to pay tribute to family and basketball greatness with Nike A’One.
Long before basketball superstardom, when Wilson was 10 or 11 years old, she received a special gift from her grandmother, Hattie Wade Rakes—a pearl necklace with a simple yet lasting message: “A pretty girl always wears her pearls.”
Though Rakes passed away at the age of 95 in 2016, Wilson keeps her memory alive through those pearls. So, when she told this story to Nike’s footwear and apparel designers, it became the inspiration behind her debut signature shoe, the Nike A’One.
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
“Nike opened up a world of design that I could relate to because of my relationship with my grandmother,” Wilson told Andscape. “I will always say: This shoe may have my name on it, but it’s so much bigger than me. This shoe is so much deeper than me. It’s definitely a shoutout to my family, but also to anyone who wants to break through and be great.”
And that’s how Wilson became just the 14th player in the WNBA’s 28-year history to receive a signature shoe, joining the likes of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Sydney Colson. While the collection has been unveiled, it won’t hit retail stores until May, just in time for the upcoming WNBA season. Until then, stay tuned.
The post Dawn Staley ‘Doesn’t Like Basketball Shoes’ as Nervous A’ja Wilson Responds to Ex-Coach’s Blunt Nike A’One Review appeared first on EssentiallySports.