A'ja Wilson Reveals Decision On Playing in Unrivaled League
As the women's basketball community gets closer to the start of the brand-new Unrivaled League this winter with each passing day, intrigue is building about who the league's seven remaining roster spots will go to.
There are plenty of superstars partaking in the 3x3 league, which will play its games in Miami. Among them are Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Plum, Angel Reese, and Arike Ogunbowale.
There's no question that Unrivaled will boast some of the league's very best talents. Yet, some notable players haven't been announced. Perhaps the three most remarkable are Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, New York Liberty star guard Sabrina Ionescu, and the Las Vegas Aces' forward and 2024 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson; all three of whom are arguably among the WNBA's biggest stars.
During ESPN's broadcast of the Fever's final game this season, commentator Ryan Ruocco asserted that Clark doesn't plan to play in Unrivaled this offseason — which Clark confirmed in her postgame press conference.
There's no word about whether Ionescu will be playing, as she could still be one of the seven players Unrivaled hasn't yet announced. And that had also been the case for Wilson until she provided a clear verdict on whether she'll play in the league during a media availability session on Saturday.
Reporter Nekias Duncan asked Wilson point blank whether she's "interested" in Unrivaled this offseason.
"Interested? I'm not going to completely cut it out, because you never know. But I will not be in Unrivaled this year," Wilson said.
"I think that kind of squashes a lot of... people kept tagging me. But I love what it's doing for my teammates, and it's creating another avenue for players to play and stay in America," Wilson continued.
"But I will not be doing that. I will be chilling."
Some practice things!
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) September 28, 2024
I asked Kelsey Plum about her screening usage, and if that helps her prep for *defending* screens.
Then I asked A'ja Wilson about Unrivaled in light of so many of her teammates committing to the league. pic.twitter.com/AST8yWz1iz
This answer may come as a surprise; if only because Bam Adebayo will be playing in Miami as well while Unrivaled is underway.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.