Entering the WNBA as a young rookie is an exhilarating feeling that only a few people in this world get to experience. However, out of the hundreds of players who can even enlist their names on draft day, the WNBA selects only 36 or fewer. So, getting your name called out on WNBA draft day is probably the most stressful and exhilarating moment of any athlete’s career.
Echoing the same sentiment, former No. 1 pick and Las Vegas Aces standout player A’ja Wilson fondly looked back on her 2018 WNBA draft night as she marked its sixth anniversary on Friday.
Taking to her X account, Wilson responded to a post shared by the Aces looking back at the moment and wrote:
“Whew, what a night.”
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In her six-year WNBA career, A’ja Wilson has surpassed expectations, delivering exceptional performances. The South Carolina Gamecocks alum boasts an impressive resume, including being a two-time WNBA champion in 2023 and 2022, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2022 and 2020 and the 2023 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
Entering the 2024 season, she’s already cemented herself as a legend, ranking among the top five in WNBA history for points per game, rebounds per game, defensive rebounds per game and blocks per game.
A’ja Wilson lists Blake Griffin’s surprise message trumping draft night as life’s highlight
A’ja Wilson has been a huge fan of former NBA star Blake Griffin, and when she was drafted in 2018 as the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Aces, she received a special video message from Griffin himself.
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The video was obviously great, but her narration of the incident months later was even better.
In an interview with The Players’ Tribune in 2018, she recounted how the surprise message from her idol Blake Griffin topped the draft night in terms of her life’s amazing moments.
“So, they gave me this iPad and they’re like, ‘don’t touch it until we say so,’” Wilson said. “So, I tap it, and all I hear is, ‘What’s up A’ja?.’ And I’m like, ‘What?’”
She found herself watching it at least six times because she had to look for something different each time.
“Like, “OK he said my name here. He really talking about watching how he’s about to watch me play. OK. He follows me on Twitter,’” Wilson said. “Like I had to gather everything together to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. So yeah, that was the highlight that was probably in front of even getting drafted. That was just an amazing moment in A’ja’s life.”
Who will be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft? Let us know in the comments below!
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About the author
Mervin is an NBA Assistant Content Manager at Sportskeeda with over 5 years of experience. He honed his writing skills while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English literature and a Master’s degree in Online Journalism, and decided to exercise his skills in the realm of sports journalism. He is also a state level hockey player.
Mervin feels basketball requires a unique blend of physicality, skill, team work, which makes it more exciting than other sports. He believes the Golden State Warriors have had a transformative influence on the sport’s culture, and Steph Curry embodies that change the most. Curry has been the most impactful player during Mervin’s time watching NBA, as he changed how everybody views the 3-point shot. The Warriors winning the NBA Championship in 2015 and 2017 are his all-time favorite moments in the sport’s history.
Mervin specializes in providing off-beat game analysis, trends, celebrity style and studying profiles of prodigious talents. He strictly follows the rule of 5W and 1H, checks information via multiple sources, and stays updated about the sport to craft compelling content. He has interviewed many Indian athletes like Neeraj Chopra, Sreeshankar Murali, Dipika Pallikal among others.
In his free time, Mervin enjoys watching movies, hiking, crafting poems and occasionally cooking.
Edited by R. Elahi
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