A'ja Wilson 'Bothered' by Caitlin Clark Coverage That Attempted to Erase WNBA’s Black Roots

A'ja Wilson has been the best player in the WNBA, at least for the last four years now. She is part of the great number of black women athletes who have worked hard and sacrificed to help the league remain the center of women's basketball for over two decades. However, Wilson was bothered when narratives changed after Caitlin Clark arrived at the scene in 2024.

When the Indiana Fever star got drafted last year, her name became the driving force behind the WNBA's improved ratings and viewership. However, to no fault of Clark, it also created a racially divided environment, especially among fans, with many pushing for the narrative that Clark was alone responsible for the ratings and the league.

A'ja Wilson, the TIME's 2025 Athlete of the Year, told Time magazine that the one-sided narrative "bothered" her.

"It wasn't a hit at me, because I'm going to do me regardless," she said. "I'm going to win this MVP, I'll win a gold medal, y'all can't shake my résumé.

"It was more so, let's not lose the recipe. Let's not lose the history. It was erased for a minute. And I don't like that. Because we have tons of women that have been through the grimiest of grimy things to get the league where it is today."

This season, Wilson became the first player to win the WNBA title, Finals MVP, league MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.

A'ja Wilson on WNBA's improved viewership despite Caitlin Clark's absence

The 2025 WNBA season cleared the lot of fog around the narrative about viewership. To Catilin Clark's credit, he brought a lot of attention to the league with her arrival. However, the trend this year sent a clear message that fans' interest transcended Clark's name.

The Indiana Fever star player played only 13 games in the season and missed all of the playoffs. Despite her absence, the viewership on all ESPN networks was up by 5%. Moreover, according to The Athletic, the regular and postseason viewership were the highest in the league's history across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.

For A'ja Wilson, who wasn't happy with Clark dealing with injuries, the 2025 season was proof that fans were turning up for something bigger.

"Sometimes you need a proof in the pudding," says Wilson. "The biggest thing for us, and why I was so happy, is that we continue to rise to the occasion. This was just a matter of time for us to really bloom and blossom. Because we have been invested in each other and our craft for a very long time. It was just like, 'They're going to pay attention.'"

For A'ja Wilson, it is only up from here for the league. With Clark returning next season and the Aces star stepping on the court to defend her throne, hope would be for another historic season.