Two-time WNBA champion and reigning Finals MVP A’ja Wilson is dispelling any notion that she’s “jealous” of women’s college basketball phenom and top WNBA draft pick Caitlin Clark.
The Las Vegas Aces star took to social media this week to set the record straight.
A’ja Wilson, #22 of the Las Vegas Aces, celebrates with the MVP trophy after defeating the New York Liberty during Game Four of the 2023 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on October 18, 2023, in New York City. The Aces defeated the Liberty 70-69. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
On Wednesday, Wilson posted “Psalm 37:7” on X – a Bible verse that talks about waiting “patiently” as others succeed.
Many users on the platform began to draw links between this message and the recent reports that Clark is nearing a lucrative, eight-figure endorsement deal with Nike that is expected to include her own signature shoe.
But Wilson, the first overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, addressed the speculation immediately, saying that she wishes the best for everyone in the league.
“lol no one is jealous bookie! I have no reason to be lol,” Wilson said on X in response to being accused of “hating” on the Indiana Fever rookie.
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“I truly Wish all 143 [draft picks] the best fr! Our league is hard as hell so to thrive and to stay in it consistently.. is huge! So pls stop with this jealousy stuff.”
Clark, who became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer this past season, has brought in a larger fan base and viewership for the women’s game. She played in the four most-viewed women’s college basketball games of all-time, three of which included Iowa’s final three games of the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, cuts down the net after beating the LSU Tigers 94-87 in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on April 1, 2024, in Albany, New York. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
But Clark’s anticipated WNBA salary went viral earlier this week after it was reported that she would make around $76,500 in her first season.
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South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley was asked about the reaction to Clark’s salary in an interview with CBS News Philadelphia on Thursday. She acknowledged the discrepancy in pay when compared to the NBA, but noted that the women’s league will need time.
She also pointed out that Clark is making more than one of her former players – Wilson – whom she coached to a national championship in 2017.
A’ja Wilson looks on before the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Friday, February 16, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (KeShawn Ennis/NBAE via Getty Images)
“She’s making much more than a national champion, A’ja Wilson, when she came out,” Staley said. “I think it’s par for the course. Caitlin Clark is going to make much more money outside of her salary than 99% of America. I think our league is a very young league. The WNBA is a very, very young league. If we’re going to be anything like the NBA, when the NBA was 28 years old, the salaries were probably comparable to what they are with the WNBA, so we need time.”
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