How A'ja Wilson's leadership fueled the most impressive season of a player already in the GOAT conversation

By the time the buzzer sounded in Phoenix on Friday night and the Las Vegas Aces sealed their WNBA Finals sweep over the Phoenix Mercury to win their third championship in four years, there was no doubt who would be named Finals MVP.

It was A'ja Wilson's trophy, given at the culmination of A'ja Wilson's season, smack dab in the middle of the A'ja Wilson era of women's basketball. It is hard to have a true GOAT conversation while a player is in the prime of their career, but it's certainly clear you can't start that conversation without mentioning Wilson -- and it feels inevitable that one day soon her name it going to end it, too.

But there will be time for those debates, short as they may be. For now I feel confident saying this: This was the most impressive season of her already HOF-worthy career. And it's not because led the league in points (23.4), blocks (2.3) and efficiency (29.2), was second in rebounds (10.2) and fourth in steals (1.6). Or because she led the Aces on a 16-game winning streak to close out the regular season. Or because she won the MVP award last month, passing Lisa Leslie, Lauren Jackson and Sheryl Swoopes to become the first four-time MVP in WNBA history. Or because she averaged 26.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 steals per game this postseason, career highs in every category except rebounds. Or because she hit one of the most iconic game-winning shots in Finals history on Wednesday night to put the Aces up 3-0 in the series. Or because she became the first player in the WNBA or NBA to win the scoring title, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in the same year.

Sure, those things count. But what really set her season apart was her leadership.

I'm not the only one saying this. Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon praised Wilson's leadership before the MVP presentation last month, recalling that during the "embarrassing moments" this season, Wilson started taking her teammates aside one by one and pouring into them. 

"This is the result of all the work that you don't get to see," Hammon said. "You know, she's just a tireless worker, and where she took us this year from where we were -- if there was a leadership trophy, you know, this is the MVP skills trophy, but she has led tremendously through some really rough waters."

All championship teams talk about their struggles in dramatically wrought terms. But Hammon and the Aces aren't exaggerating when recalling their low points in 2025. The Aces spent the first few months of the season teetering around the .500 mark, and things hit rock bottom on Aug. 2 when they lost by 53 points at home to the Minnesota Lynx to drop to 14-14. At that point, Napheesa Collier was the runaway favorite for MVP, too.

ESPN's Michael Voepel reported that after that 53-point loss, Wilson sent her teammates a text that set the tone for the rest of the season: "If you weren't embarrassed from yesterday, then don't come into this gym. You're not needed or wanted here. We need the mindset to shift, because that was embarrassing."

But she didn't just address them as a group and digitally; she found a way to speak the truth to each of them and bring out the best of them in the process.

According to point guard Chelsea Gray, in the first half of the season Wilson told her bluntly, "There's no way I should ever have more assists than you." As reported by ESPN's Katie Barnes, before that remark, Gray was averaging just 4.3 assists per game; the rest of the season Gray averaged 7.1 assists per game. This postseason Gray averaged 7.5 assists per game, a career high for the 32-year-old point guard who now has four WNBA championships to her name – three with Wilson and the Aces, and one from 2016 with the Los Angeles Sparks.

It says a lot about Wilson's character not only that she was willing to call out one of the best point guards in WNBA history, but that she had built up enough trust and clout with Gray over the years for Gray to truly listen to her and not just get defensive.

And it says even more that she seems to have that level of trust and clout with every member of the team. Twenty-five-year-old forward NaLyssa Smith was traded to the Aces from the Dallas Wings midseason. She had never played with Wilson before, but had long been a fan -- cameras caught Wilson giving Smith advice and encouragement on the court during a preseason game at the start of the year when the two were still on opposing teams.

Wilson immediately took Smith under her wing after the trade, helping her adapt to the team by giving her tips, motivating her throughout the game and making sure she stayed mentally focused. That investment paid off. Smith played some of the best basketball of her career this summer and played a key role in the Aces' turnaround.

But in my opinion, the most impressive display of her leadership came in a video shared by the Aces' social media team after Wilson won her MVP award. In the video, Wilson was surprised by hand-written notes of congratulations from each of her teammates. She sobbed as she read each and every one out loud -- and after listening to them all, I don't blame her.

One by one, her teammates showered words of praise at Wilson, words that go far beyond generic teammate talk.

"I remember last year, you mentioned how you wanted to be a better leader in your last press conference. I just wanted to tell you that you're the best leader I've ever had, and I'm so blessed to compete with you," Dana Evans, a reserve point guard in her first season with the Aces, wrote.

"People can talk all day about what you are as a basketball player, because you're the best. But I want to tell you how much you mean to people as a human," Kierstan Bell, who just finished her fourth year with the Aces, said. "You show up every single day and make it known that you will run through a wall for the people you love, which is why there's no doubt if I would ever do the same for you."

Megan Gustafson added that Wilson is "truly one of the best leaders I've ever witnessed. When you go, we go." Kia Stokes wrote, "You are the definition of a humble superstar, a leader by example, and someone who is selfless." Jewell Loyd said, "To be your teammate is a privilege, but to be your friend is a blessing. The way you serve and show up for your people is a testament to your character." Jackie Young wrote, "I thank you for challenging me to get out of my shell and always believing in me and cussing me out when I needed it." Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who gave birth to her second child this season, said, "The way you carry yourself is truly top tier, and I pray that my daughter has the same amount of love, strength and greatness that you show every day as a true leader and a champion."

And Smith shone light on why exactly Wilson's leadership is so effective: "The kind of person you are, the kind of leader you are makes me want to go harder every day, not just for myself, but because my favorite player believes in me. ... I thank you every day from the bottom of my heart for being the person you are to me and helping me love basketball again."

Even more moving than the words themselves was Wilson's reaction to each name that she read and each compliment she absorbed. Her obsession and adoration for each of her teammates was palpable through the screen.

"This team, oh, man, I would never get tired of talking about this team and my teammates. They are, they're my heartbeat, they're my heartstrings. They are the reason why I love coming into work every single day, and I'm just so appreciative to be able to call them my teammates, my sisters, my road dogs, my partner, anything in between. I'm blessed. I'm really blessed," she said.

It's not unusual to see stars get along with teammates, or gush about them in big moments. But to see a superstar at Wilson's level have such a genuine connection with her entire roster, top to bottom, is truly rare. Ultimately, that's what sets Wilson apart from everyone else. Her greatness comes with accountability, not dramatics. Her confidence lifts people up, it doesn't tear people down. She knows how important she is to her team and to the game as a whole, but seems to truly believe that everyone in her orbit has the same import. 

This season put Wilson to the test like no other. And she didn't just pass, she made sure everyone around her did, too. That belongs on her GOAT resume, too.