When Serena Williams retired, she had already built a groundbreaking career. Twenty-three Grand Slam titles. All while breaking records and battling stereotypes. Even after retirement, she has continued to build business ventures and serve as a role model for underrepresented athletes. Being compared to her is no small thing. What makes it even more impressive is that the comparison came from a 10-time NBA All-Star.

And A’ja Wilson undoubtedly deserves every bit of that praise. She is widely regarded as the best player in the WNBA today. Wilson has won her fourth MVP title and her third championship. So when Carmelo Anthony made the comparison, he was simply giving her the flowers she had earned.

“A’ja has that type of impact when it comes to the women’s game and being the face of women’s sports,” Anthony said during the December 23 episode of his podcast, 7 PM in Brooklyn. “For so long, we had Serena Williams. Now we have A’ja.” But he didn’t stop there.

He also named Wilson the podcast’s Athlete and Person of the Year for 2025. And once again, the accolades fit. That’s because the LV Aces superstar is already TIME’s 2025 Athlete of the Year and the AP Women’s Athlete of the Year.

She is also the first player in WNBA and NBA history to win a championship, league MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, scoring title, and Finals MVP. Yet, despite all of that, Wilson believes she still hasn’t reached her peak.

“I’m on my way there... I’m making it really hard for people to chase after me. That’s what it means to be the GOAT,” Wilson said during a December 11 interview with TIME. That confidence comes despite having already accomplished nearly everything possible.

 At just 29 years old, Wilson owns a glittering résumé. She’s got three championships and even a bronze statue on the campus of her alma mater, the University of South Carolina.

So what's next for A’ja Wilson?

After winning her fourth MVP award, A'ja Wilson plans to get engaged. Over the last four years, the WNBA icon's relationship with NBA Bam Adebayo has deepened. The pair, who first met during the 2021 Olympics, seems ready to take the next step. Recently, Wilson opened up about marriage and starting a family.

“That is always a dream,” Wilson said during a December 15 interview with Sun-Sentinel.com. “This is my life partner.”

Adebayo has largely advocated for privacy throughout their relationship. While the two were eventually seen together publicly and acknowledged their relationship, they remained selective about what they shared.

“Nah, I mean, we were never shy,” Adebayo told Yahoo on December 15. “It was just that with privacy, you can actually build your foundation, make it solid, and work toward when it gets public. We weren’t being secretive. We just know how to shut up.” Now that the relationship is public, Wilson has hinted at a possible engagement, though nothing has been officially confirmed yet.

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi