A’ja Wilson Named 2025 AP Female Athlete of the Year. Caitlin Clark Snubbed again…
Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson has been voted The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for 2025, the first time the 29-year-old has claimed the prestigious honor. In a landslide vote by AP sports editors and beat writers, Wilson outdistanced Olympic champions and World Cup standouts to become just the fifth basketball player—and the first since Lauren Jackson in 2007—to earn the award, which dates to 1931.
The 2025 season was a historic masterpiece for Wilson. She became the first player in WNBA history to win Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same season while leading the Aces to their third consecutive championship. Wilson averaged 28.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, and 2.8 assists per game—numbers that shattered previous single-season records for scoring average and player efficiency rating. Her unanimous third MVP award (a WNBA first) capped a campaign that saw her score 1,021 points in only 36 regular-season games, another league benchmark.
Off the court, Wilson’s impact was equally profound. Her foundation raised more than $2 million for youth literacy and mental-health programs, and her signature Nike collection became the fastest-selling women’s basketball shoe line ever. “This isn’t just about me,” Wilson said upon accepting the award. “It’s about every little girl who sees someone who looks like her dominating the game.”
Wilson joins an elite list of basketball recipients: Cheryl Miller (1986), Sheryl Swoopes (1993, 2000), Candace Parker (2008), and Lauren Jackson (2003, 2007). At 29, she is already being mentioned alongside the sport’s all-time greats—and with her best years still ahead, the ceiling remains limitless.
