There is little debate surrounding whether or not A'ja Wilson is one of the greatest female athletes of all time. But on Tuesday night at the ESPYS in New York City, sports fans across the country affirmed they believed just that.
The Las Vegas Aces star took home a pair of ESPYS, as 2026 marked the 33rd annual award show that celebrates some of the best athletes and stories across sports. Wilson took home two awards, winning Best Female Athlete of the Year, as well as Best WNBA Player.
While both wins were impressive, her win for Best Athlete, Women's Sports might be the most, as she was nominated alongside some huge stars. She beat out ice hockey legend Hilary Knight, alpine skiing's Mikaela Shiffrin and LPGA star Nelly Korda for the award.
For best WNBA player, Wilson edged out a fellow Gamecock in the Atlanta Dream's Allisha Gray, as well as the Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier and the Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas.
Although Wilson did not attend the event herself, United States rugby star Ilona Maher and the New York Knicks' Karl Anthony Towns announced the award on the Aces' star behalf.
“i mean a’ja wilson, come on.” 💕 https://t.co/b0EN2xHvGH pic.twitter.com/evhBABpJVP
— a’ja wilson HQ (@aja22wilsonHQ) July 16, 2026
Wilson winning the award isn't exactly a huge surprise, but it is well-deserved. The four-time WNBA MVP and three-time WNBA Champion has been on a heater during her 2026 season. She's averaging 25.5 points per game, which leads Las Vegas, including another 9.8 rebounds with 2.9 assists per contest. Wilson was also named a WNBA All-Star last week, so she has been racking up the accolades this season.
Wilson has helped the Aces get out to a 17-7 start to the season, and are currently third in the Western Conference Division. The Aces are looking to defend their WNBA league title from last season, and look to be in a great spot to just that in 2026.
In April, Wilson became the highest-paid WNBA player in history with her three-year $5 million super max deal with Las Vegas. Just a day later, fellow Gamecock Alliyah Boston surpassed that with her new $6 million contract with the Indiana Fever.
Next up for the Wilson and the Aces is a road trip to take on the Toronto Tempo on Monday, July 20 at 8 p.m. ET.
Wilson now has won five total ESPYS, winning Best WNBA Player in 2023 and 2024, as well as Best Female Athlete ESPY also in 2024. Congrats to Wilson on her newest award! It likely won't be her last one before the season is over.
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