8 minute readOn Friday of WNBA All-Star weekend, A’ja Wilson joined Sue Bird and Dwyane Wade on stage at the Chicago Theater for a live taping of TOGETHXR’s new podcast, Everyone Watches Women’s Sports, hosted by Ali Chambers and Sam Jay.
The event is sponsored by JPMorgan Wealth Management, and all athletes on stage serve as members of the JPMorgan Chase Athlete Council. The JPMorgan Chase Athlete Council was launched earlier this year to help athletes navigate finances throughout their careers. Other members include Jalen Brunson, Megan Rapinoe, and Tom Brady.
After an opening segment in which Dallas Wings star Alisha Clark, National Women’s Basketball Players Association Vice President, WNBPA Executive Director Terry Carmichael Jackson, and JPMorgan Wealth Management CEO Christine Lemkau shared insight into how the historic collective bargaining agreement was achieved, Wilson, Bird and Wade answered questions about managing their finances and what they want the athletes who will follow in their footsteps to know about money.
After the taping, I joined Wilson in her dressing room (her boyfriend, NBA star Bam Adebayo, was also in attendance) and we talked about money, her style, her new ESPN series “Life in the W,” starring the four-time MVP, and what to expect in the second half of the season.
What is the first thing you wish you had known about personal finance?
The biggest thing is to understand that large checks shrink. I don’t think you really understand that when you’re a young athlete making a lot of money. When you get into the professional leagues, you’re going to get a big fat check and the numbers look great and you think, “Oh my god, yeah, this is all I ever wanted. I’m going to get everything I want.” And as much as you want to have everything quickly, you eventually start to realize that it’s shrinking. Therefore, the lifestyle you want to achieve must be based on longevity. You can’t just think about it in the moment.
So, for me, I think it helps me learn how to manage my household finances faster. This doesn’t mean don’t spend any money. No, we deserve it, because we earned the money. But it’s important to educate yourself about who to trust, how to trust, and what to do. I think that’s why we’re so grateful to be a part of this council. That way, we can continue to provide insight and share the decisions we make with the next athlete.
You said on stage, “All money is not good money.” Could you please explain what you meant?
Yeah. One thing my mother always told me is that not all money is good money. It’s crazy growing up. Because you see these opportunities and these big brands and you might not be in step with them. That means they won’t be able to get the best out of you, and you probably won’t be able to get the best out of them either. Because it’s just a conflict. Even if the check is great and the numbers are great, the feel may not be great. And that’s what I mean when I say not all money is good money. You may think so, but you still have to think about longevity. Lifespan may end in an instant. So you have to be very careful about who you trust and where you want to place yourself, not only when it comes to your image and brand, but also the dollar bill behind it.
You’ve said that social media can make you feel like you have to be successful right away, but real success is about being prepared for life after basketball. What kind of pressure did you feel and how are you currently establishing yourself long-term?
You can be fooled by the optics of many things you see on your phone. Everyone seems to be living their best lives and it’s obvious that they love it. But is it true? And sometimes social media can really hide it and you might be like, “Oh my god, they got all this.” But we don’t know. The car could be leased or just a photo. So I think for me I really had to understand that not everything is as it seems. You’ll have to zoom in to see the real thing. And when it comes to your finances, sometimes you have to figure out if it’s real and if it’s really long-term. Can it be sustained? Can you help me if this basketball stops bouncing? It’s because I’m used to my lifestyle. But even if the ball stops bouncing and those checks may stop coming in, will I still be able to live the lifestyle I want? That’s why I think it’s important to take a break from social media from time to time.
ESPN’s “Life in the W” series premieres Friday and shows a different, more vulnerable side than we’ve seen before. What was it like getting in front of the camera and exposing yourself to the world?
It feels good. I feel like I’m in a space of femininity and adulthood where it’s okay to share my life. Or at least give us a little glimpse, because sometimes we have to protect our peace. In the world we live in, everyone always wants to know what I’m eating. what am i wearing? Who am I with? Where are you going? That’s great, I understand that too. I love my fans, but sometimes you have to protect your peace. So it was nice to be able to give some insight into the real life that we live as athletes. It’s great to be able to see behind the scenes. We are very good at what we do, and even though it’s still difficult at times, we still show our true selves every day. So I’m really looking forward to everyone seeing it all and getting a glimpse into everyone’s lives. Carrying the camera around was a lot of fun. I’m not going to lie, it was a little creepy at times, but that was all part of it.
In this series, we’ll also look at your relationships. You and Bam have kept your relationship pretty private, how has that felt?
Aja Wilson: I feel like it was organic. I feel like that was us.
Bam Adebayo: It was not forced.
AW: I hope people see that reality. It was very, very us. To be honest, we don’t like to do stupid things, but we always want to support each other. So I’m kind of excited to finally be able to give people some insight because I know everyone wants to see it and want to be a part of it. So it’s cool to be able to give them a glimpse of, “No, we’re really just two athletes who love what we do and love each other and we’re going to push each other to be great.” So I’m excited to have that little part in there.
The series follows the 2025 season, which got off to a rough start for the team. I think sometimes you learn more from losing than from winning. What did you gain by losing?
I think what you get from losing is the value of winning. When you lose, you realize how difficult it is to win. If we win, everything will be covered. It’s like, “Oh, we’re fine. Don’t worry about these little things that we’ve been covering up. It doesn’t matter. We won.” But when you lose, everything becomes bigger. So I think last year’s loss really taught us the value of Game 2 through Game 32. They are just as important. We cannot remove our possessions. We can’t take days off and just think, let’s be great, shine a light, be great. It takes really hard effort to get what you want. We always say, “Oh, we want to win a championship.” And it’s like, “But would you? Do you want to do that when it’s really hard?” So I think losing last year really helped me have the perspective that in order to win, you have to put a lot of things aside. we have to make sacrifices.
What is your leadership style and how have you developed as a leader?
I have grown as a leader by understanding the different roles I have to fill and the different hats I have to wear to get the best out of my teammates. I can’t lead one teammate the same way I can lead another teammate. That won’t work. We are all so different. I love being a leader because it allows me to build relationships and bonds with people and bring out the best in them.
And last year, as I always say, it was a joy for me to watch my teammates heal before my eyes. I was able to see the testimonies of walking. A breakthrough is now in sight. We were all going through things from top to bottom. We were sad and anxious. We were all going through different things. But that was the moment where I really knew, “Oh, we’re healing. We’re coming together. We’re sorting things out.” That’s why I love being a team leader. Because you get to see people succeed and that’s a beautiful thing to watch.
You looked amazing on the orange carpet last night. everyone is talking about it. How did you develop your style and what makes you comfortable?
I always grew up being a glamor girl. Any opportunity to dress up is always welcome. It’s like, “If you’re going to do this, do it.” I feel like the Leo in me is like, “I have to be dramatic. I have to go beyond that.” And my stylist is the perfect person to go above and beyond with me. We went from “Yes, let’s do this dress” to “Oh, let’s do gloves. Let’s do this…” It’s like, “Okay, let’s try it.” So last night’s look was just, “Let’s go all out, let’s do it. If we’re going to show up on the carpet, let’s show up on the carpet.”
We are at the halfway point of the season. What is your favorite moment so far?
Becky Hammon literally tripped during the game, fell off her shoe and hit her butt on the sideline trying to yell at the referee. I think that’s the highlight of my season so far. And then she puts it on the screen for us to see, and I think, “This is why you’re the best. If you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you do?”
What are you thinking about as you lead the team going forward into the second half of the season?
My biggest thing is to make sure the team doesn’t get complacent or think they can do the same as last year. The appearance changes greatly. It will be much harder to protect what is ours. So for me, we need to make sure we’re all on the same page and understand that the second half of the season is going to be tough. It’s going to be a big deal. So we have the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in September, and then we come back and we’re right into the playoffs. So we have to buckle down and do business well.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
