Fans Emotional Over A'ja Wilson's Tear-Jerking Speech After Winning WNBA MVP
It was announced on Sunday that Las Vegas Aces star forward A'ja Wilson has won the 2024 WNBA MVP award.
Wilson received all 67 first-place votes for WNBA MVP, making her just the second unanimous MVP in the league's history and the first in over 25 years.
The Aces' social media team posted a video of Wilson (who is now a three-time MVP) receiving the news from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert over the phone, while in a room with her Aces teammates and coaching staff.
And after the announcement was made, Wilson stood up and delivered an emotional speech to her teammates.
After Wilson praised each of her teammates individually, she said, “I cannot thank you all enough. I hope you guys understand how much you mean to me. I hope you guys know that this trophy is nothing without y’all. We’ve been through the ringer – and we gonna continue to go through the ringer – but one thing y’all don’t ever have to worry about is A’ja going anywhere.”
The moment ✨
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 22, 2024
“I cannot thank you all enough. I hope you guys understand how much you mean to me. I hope you guys know that this trophy is nothing without y’all. We’ve been through the ringer – and we gon’ continue to go through the ringer – but one thing y’all don’t ever have… pic.twitter.com/NOnm0BP4yr
This heartfelt message has fans in their feelings over social media.
"Just waking up and it’s tooo early for me to be crying already 🥹🥹🥹," X user @T_RA1N wrote along with a gif of a man crying.
Just waking up and it’s tooo early for me to be crying already 🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/1Bfytmqh0K
— KT ⁶𓅓 (@T_RA1N) September 22, 2024
Another fan said, "I’m bawlinggg it’s 9am on a Sunday plz 😭😭😭".
Wilson's teammate Sydney Colson added, "A’ja’s just different. It’d be interesting to see how many players have won MVP & made their speech about literally every teammate & what they mean to her. And it’s not that they should have to, but God created such a servant leader with this one & we’re blessed to play w/ her 🥹".
A’ja’s just different. It’d be interesting to see how many players have won MVP & made their speech about literally every teammate & what they mean to her. And it’s not that they should have to, but God created such a servant leader with this one & we’re blessed to play w/ her🥹 https://t.co/OlAZguDjP3
— Sydney Colson (@SydJColson) September 22, 2024
While Wilson would have still been deserving of the unanimous MVP if she wasn't a first-rate person, the fact that she is makes her securing the award all the more heartwarming.
GRANT YOUNG
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.