A’ja Wilson Nabs Double ESPY Nominations After Record-Breaking WNBA Season
South Carolina legend and WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson has once again proven why she’s considered the best in the game. After a historic 2024 season, Wilson has earned not one—but two nominations at this year’s ESPY Awards.
The three-time WNBA MVP is up for Best Athlete – Women’s Sports and Best WNBA Player, two of the night’s most prestigious honors. Wilson is one of only four nominees in each category, underscoring her dominance on the court and her continued influence in women’s sports. Gamecock fans can vote for Wilson in both categories now on ESPN’s official voting platform.
𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲:
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀. 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
A Season for the History Books
Wilson’s 2024 campaign wasn’t just impressive—it was historic. She put up jaw-dropping numbers, averaging:
- 26.9 points
- 11.9 rebounds
- 2.6 blocks
- 2.3 assists
- 1.8 steals per game
She also shot 52% from the field and 84% from the free-throw line.
The stats alone are incredible, but Wilson took it further by shattering multiple WNBA records. She now holds league records for:
- Most points in a season (1,021)
- Most rebounds in a season (451)
- Highest points-per-game average (26.9)
- Most points in a single game (53)
She became the only player in WNBA history to notch 1,000+ points and 450+ rebounds in a single season. Wilson also led the league in points, rebounds, blocks, and blocks per game, and ranked in the top five for both rebounds per game and steals.
Only four players averaged at least 20 points and two assists in 2024—and Wilson was the only one to also average at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.
Leading On and Off the Court
Wilson’s impact extended well beyond her on-court dominance. She was honored with the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award for her work off the court, including community outreach and philanthropy.
During the summer, she joined Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she played a central role in securing yet another Olympic gold medal for the U.S. She was named to the Olympic Starting Five and earned the title of Olympic MVP.
ESPY Awards Return July 16
The 2025 ESPYs will air Wednesday, July 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC, with streaming available via ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The show will be hosted by comedian Shane Gillis at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Last year, Wilson took home both ESPYs she’s nominated for again this year. South Carolina women’s basketball also won Best Team after their undefeated National Championship run, while head coach Dawn Staley received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her tireless work supporting cancer awareness and treatment for children.
With another record-setting year behind her, A’ja Wilson is once again poised to take center stage—and possibly walk away with even more hardware.
