The Las Vegas Aces super star became the first unanimous MVP in WNBA history this season, fortifying her case as among the greatest women’s basketball players ever.
At just 28 years old, Wilson boasts two championships, three MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and six All-Star appearances. She’s already among the most decorated players of all-time halfway through her career.
Comparing any young player’s game to Wilson’s is futile. But she sees at least a couple major similarities between herself and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, who took the WNBA by storm as a rookie while setting records for double-doubles and rebounding.
“It’s been super cool to play against her,” Wilson said of Reese, per Rachel Bachman of The Wall Street Journal. “Obviously I’ve watched her throughout her collegiate career, even back in Maryland. My good friend actually was coaching her at that time, so that’s how I honestly started to follow Angel, and I saw a little bit of myself in her.
“No matter what I do, I’m gonna make sure that I go all out and I give it 100 percent,” Wilson continued. “And I saw that, just the motor that she has, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that is young A’ja 100 percent.” But for her to want to, for all these years, to still rebound the basketball, it’s something that’s really her and true to her. I hope she never loses that.”
Reese earned All-Star honors in her debut campaign, averaging 13.6 points and a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game.
Wilson actually led the WNBA in total rebounds, though, pulling down a single-season record of 451 boards. Reese had previously set a new all-time benchmark for rebounding, but her season ended six games early due to a left wrist injury.
Reese, 22, is already on track for a storied career no matter where the game goes from here.
If she can add more offensive skill to the rebounding prowess, defensive ability and never-ending motor she shares with Wilson, expect comparisons between the pair to grow even more frequent.
