Wilson spoke to students in Chicago on Uber’s “Women Change the Game” panel during WNBA All-Star Weekend
Credit: Getty(2)
NEED TO KNOW
- A’ja Wilson tells PEOPLE what the biggest difference is between her first WNBA All-Star Weekend and her eighth appearance
- “I don’t remember doing nearly as much stuff as I’m doing now back then,” Wilson says in Chicago while sitting with her boyfriend, NBA star Bam Adebayo
- Wilson says it’s “cool” that “incredible sponsors” like Uber are supporting the league and giving fans unique experiences
A’ja Wilson is no stranger to WNBA All-Star Weekend.
As the 29-year-old WNBA star prepares to play in her eighth All-Star game on Saturday, July 25, Wilson tells PEOPLE on Thursday, July 23 what’s changed about the annual weekend since her first trip in 2018.
“My first was Minnesota,” Wilson recalls from her green room at William H. Wells Community Academy High School in Chicago, where she spoke to students on Uber’s “Women Change the Game” panel with journalist Laura Washington. “I don’t remember doing nearly as much stuff as I’m doing now back then,” Wilson continues. “The activations, this wasn’t really a thing. My last activation would be Final Four.”
“The biggest difference is when I was a rookie, I was like, on the orange carpet, played the game, and now it’s like, no you really have all these different things and activations,” she adds.
Credit: Getty(2)
Wilson, sitting with her boyfriend, NBA star Bam Adebayo’s arm around her, adds, “Now I’m having incredible sponsors that are like, ‘No, we want to see her. We want people to meet and greet and be with her and let the community of the city that we’re in see her.’ And I think that’s pretty cool because this isn’t Vegas, so it’s a different community for me.”
Now in her eighth appearance, the Las Vegas Aces star says, “Now, I know what I want and I know exactly when to get into town, how to navigate the town, where as before I was like, ‘I don’t know, it’s All Star Weekend, let’s just go see what it’s about.’”
Credit: Jeff Schear/Getty
Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE’s free sports newsletter — sign up now!
After speaking to the students with Washington, Wilson joined the young hoopers on the court to shoot layups. “I feel like I can’t remember the last time I’ve been in a high school, so it’s been cool to connect with them and see them playing the game we love,” Wilson says.
“I think All-Star Weekend is a perfect weekend for them to really kind of get to see us as WNBA players in a different light and hopefully they can continue to dream to be in our shoes one day.”
Credit: Jeff Schear/Getty
When Wilson was in high school, “I was kind of just chill,” she says. “I didn’t really have a clique. I didn’t really have a crew that I was hanging with. I just hung around people that were just good people, and I just kind of meshed with everybody. I feel like I was a decent student. I don’t know, but, I went to class, so that’s pretty much good.”
“High school A’ja was pretty much what she is now, just not as much money,” she laughs.
Wilson, who admits she uses a fake name when calling Uber rides, tells PEOPLE she’s proud to be “changing the game” with the help of Uber’s nationwide expansion of Women Preferences to give women drivers and riders the choice to be matched with women. Thursday’s event brought together the students in Chicago, as well as some of the top women drivers in the city to celebrate the expansion and hear from Wilson.
“I feel like as women, we’re naturally caring people, and I think when it comes to Uber and you’re wanting to care for somebody to get to their destination, whether that’s an airport or whether that’s a hospital, wherever it is, I think it’s kind of cool to see us in those spaces because I feel like if you want anyone to care for you in kind of your craziest moments, it’s going to be a woman in my eyes,” Wilson says.
“When I think of that, I’m thinking of my mom. I’m thinking of my grandmother. So it’s pretty cool to have a space now apparently also with Uber where you can have a woman driver. That is so key. I mean, I think it’s the growth of their app and where they’re going. So I’m just happy to be a part of it,” she adds.
Read the full article here
