A’ja Wilson is very good right now. To summarize the Las Vegas Aces center’s year: She’s averaging a staggering 27.2 points per game, according to the WNBA. She won Best WNBA Player and Best Women’s Sports Athlete at the ESPY Awards. She’s currently playing for Team USA in Paris and (along with Breanna Stewart) had back-to-back 20-point games during the Olympics, something a Team USA women’s basketball player hasn’t done since Teresa Edwards in 1988. She’s also the only player (men’s and women’s) to have multiple double-doubles during the 2024 Games. Tribune ReportAs for her off-the-field work: This year, Wilson published a book (a New York Times bestseller) called “Dear Black Girls: How to Stay True to Yourself.” She announced her A’One shoe deal with Nike. She continues to empower children and families with dyslexia through her A’ja Wilson Foundation. Finally.

You’ll notice the variety of her accolades. Wilson is not only making a huge impact on the sport of women’s basketball; she’s also a role model for the next generation. As Tom Brady wrote in his Time magazine “Most Influential People of 2024” profile, “A’ja Wilson is not only an incredible athlete, she’s also an inspiration to all who witness her talent and determination. Her journey is a testament to the power of passion and fearlessness in achieving greatness.”

Ahead of heading to Paris to compete in her second Olympic Games, Wilson sat down with PS as part of her involvement in a new Gatorade campaign. The campaign reimagines the famous Gatorade marketing ad from the ’90s — you know, the one where the greatest athletes of that era get shot with sweaty Gatorade bullets — and features the iconic tagline, “Is It In You?” The updated ads feature none other than Michael Jordan, a powerful acknowledgement of just how great WNBA talent is.

“I remember growing up and watching those commercials,” Wilson tells PS. “To be a part of it now is really special. When you have someone like Michael Jordan in the lead role, it’s pretty awesome to say your name is on that list. You know that name is going to be full of greatness.”

Wilson tells PS how he stays focused when faced with challenges on and off the field, and what message he hopes to send to his young fans.

PS: After winning back-to-back championships, selling out games and all the incredible excitement and energy for the WNBA right now, does anything feel different for you and your teammates this season?

A’ja Wilson: No, I feel like we always have a target on our back. It’s gotten bigger and bigger and bigger every year. So, it’s not really different, but honestly our mindset was different for the bigger goals. And that’s what I love the most. It’s like we’re not satisfied. With the resume that we have and what we’ve done for two years, we could definitely take a step back and feel entitled and think that every team is going to step back and let us win. But that’s not the case. We’re coming in with the mindset of, no, we want it. We want it again. We’re greedy. We have to go after it and not miss a single game. So I’m definitely excited about what’s going to happen for the Aces.

PS: Can you tell us about the goals you have set for this season?

HA: Just to get better. I’ve always said the ultimate goal for myself is to get better than last year. Either to get better and in better shape or to be a better teammate or to be a better leader or to add different things to my game. I want people to see a different A’ja than last year. That’s how we continue to grow — not just for myself, but as a team.

PS: I know you mentioned mindset – how do you stay focused and calm?

HA: I turn everything upside down. I relax a little bit. I talk to my teammates. We do some dancing, we do some singing. There’s a lot of pressure on us going into games. So I take that pressure off by not thinking too much and understanding that it’s a game, it’s fun at the end of the day. And I feel lucky to be able to play that. So I go out there and have fun. I really just kind of let my shoulders go and go out there and take what the defense and the game gives me.

I try to train myself to be present and understand that not every day is going to be sunny and rainbow-filled. There will be storms. But those storms pass, and when they do, it’s time to shine brightest. That’s where you catch the rainbow and you can be who you really are.

So, that’s my approach on the court, off the court, in life, everywhere. I never want to underestimate where I’m at in life and where I’ve come from.

PS: How do you respond to challenges or setbacks you encounter on your journey?

HA: I do it again. (Laughs) I feel like a little kid who has to test the stove a little bit, “Is it really that hot?” It really is that hot. I have to touch it again, because I say, “It wasn’t that hot.” I really don’t like no for an answer. But when I get that no, I try to understand that maybe this isn’t the door I want to go through, but there are multiple doors I can go through. So when there are challenges, I just go at them head on and know that if it’s for me, it’s for me.

PS: Can you tell us how you and your team manage to stay inspired and energized?

HA: We’re burning, we’re burning. (Laughs.) We turn up the music, or we’re constantly supporting each other.

You don’t know what people are going through. And you don’t want to add to it. Sometimes we add to ourselves. And for us, we put that aside and we let people be themselves and we love them that way — and that’s how I’ve really gained a lot of trust from my teammates and my coaches. But we just enjoy what we do. Some people might look at it and say, “Oh my God, these are crazy” or “Fake” or “For the camera.” But it’s real.

PS: I know you have a book coming out. What would you like to say to someone from the younger generation who might be struggling to find their voice?

HA: Your voice doesn’t always have to be loud. I feel like a lot of people think you have to have a loud voice and dominate everyone in the room. But no, you can be yourself. Your voice can be small but it can still be heard because you are you. And the people you love and are loyal to you will totally understand that. You don’t have to be the loudest or the most outspoken. You can be yourself and still make a difference, create change, and be kind in that space.

People get used to wanting to be the loudest and the proudest very quickly. But in some ways you can be yourself, and if that’s quiet and peaceful, so be it. My biggest problem with young people is, number one, understanding that it takes time to find your voice; number two, you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room. You can still be your voice at your own pace.

PS: Do you have any advice for young fans of the WNBA or girls playing in high school or other female athletes?

HA: I always say in my book: Cut yourself some slack. I think that’s the most important thing. Just like being kind to yourself. Yes, be kind to others, but be kind to yourself, because that’s where it really matters.

You never know whose day you’re going to change. Just know it and enjoy it, make it a better day.

It’s not always going to be beautiful. It’s not always going to be wonderful and fun and happy. (So) understand that you can get through those days. Cut yourself some slack.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a Staff Writer in Health and Wellness. A lifelong martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength and conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated from George Washington University with a Masters in Exercise Science and Strength and Conditioning.