A’ja Wilson responds to Caitlin Clark backlash and opens up on biggest ‘regret’

After Caitlin Clark received backlash for her comments, WNBA rival A’ja Wilson has come out in support of her in a show of solidarity with the Indiana Fever sensation

A’ja Wilson has defended Caitlin Clark after the rookie sensation faced backlash over her comments on racial privilege.

The 28-year-old’s legacy as a WNBA great is already secure, having been named as the league’s MVP on three occasions, alongside winning the championship twice. The center, who is a six-time All-Star, played an integral role in the Las Vegas Aces securing back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023.

However, the Las Vegas outfit fell short of pulling off a third successive triumph in 2024 – as Wilson’s team suffered defeat at the WNBA semifinals stage at the hands of the New York Liberty. Now, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year has reflected on the past year as she assessed her team’s showing last season.

Wilson experienced a successful campaign on an individual, even setting a new all-time record haul for points scored in single-season with a staggering 1,021 total points. Her average of 26.9 points per game also represented the best return for any player in the WNBA history in a single season.

Following a landmark year in her career, the Aces star was named among TIME’s Women of the Year, featuring as the magazine’s cover star for its annual issue. During an interview for the publication, she also addressed the changing climate within the sport such as the rise of rookie stars such as Caitlin Clark.

Caitlin Clark backlash

In a wide-ranging conversation, Wilson defended Indiana Fever youngster Clark, who sparked controversy with her remarks over racial privilege in an interview with TIME. Speaking after being named as Athlete of the Year, the former college sensation said: “I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege.”

A’ja Wilson spoke in solidarity with Caitlin Clark after the latter’s remarks sparked controversy ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Wilson has responded to these comments, asserting: “As a Black woman in the WNBA, we have our struggles in showcasing who we really are. A lot of agendas get pushed on a lot of different platforms that may shadow us… So when we can have our counterparts speak up, it speaks volumes to me because they’re in spaces where my path is never supposed to go.

“I know [Clark] got a lot of backlash from that because obviously we live in a world where they don’t want that, and it’s exhausting.”

Wilson added: “But imagine dealing with that and then having to go out and play every single night, having to constantly have to worry, how are they about to downgrade my resume now? What more do I have to do in order to showcase how elite and how serious I take my job?”

Biggest ‘regret’

After the Aces failed to pull off a three-peat WNBA championship success in 2024, Wilson also admitted to the publication that falling short has left her with feelings of “regret”. She said: “Not getting the three-peat was hard.

“The regret is the hardest part that I’ve had to deal with in this offseason, because I’m like, ‘What could I have done differently to get a different outcome?’ When in reality, it just wasn’t our time and to see New York do it is like, Ah. But it’s part of the game – it’s the healthy balance that you’ve got to fight through.”