Getty A'ja Wilson
For the first time ever, the NBA 2K franchise has dual-league cover athletes. Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces will both grace the cover of NBA 2K25, the franchise announced on Wednesday, July 10.
“Being featured on the NBA 2K25 cover is a big moment for me and a testament to the ever-growing fandom of the WNBA,” Wilson said in a release. “Seeing more and more WNBA athletes scanned into NBA 2K25 to best capture the style and confidence of the league has been empowering, and I can’t wait for fans to experience it in-game.”
One of the faces of the WNBA in 2024, Wilson is a two-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA MVP and a two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She’s also the reigning ESPY winner for Best WNBA Player and is currently leading the league in scoring (27.0 PPG) and blocked shots (2.7).
Wilson will also appear on the cover of the series’ WNBA Edition, while Tatum earned the nod for the Standard Edition.
A’ja Wilson 2K Cover Reactions
As one might expect, the WNBA world met Wilson’s honor with celebration. Her Aces celebrated the news by taking a page from Nike’s “of course she got a shoe” campaign.
Of course she’s on the cover of 2k25, she’s the M’VP ✨
HighlightHER founder and women’s basketball influencer Ari Chambers took time to acknowledge Wilson’s contributions to basketball as a whole.
The way she keeps elevating & showing us this world is ours for the taking 🔥 Everyone, the new @NBA2K cover star, @_ajawilson22
Even the city of Las Vegas weighed in, jumping into the NBA and WNBA’s replies to remind people where Wilson plies her trade.
@NBA @_ajawilson22 @WNBA @NBA2K This is MASSIVE🔥
Couldn’t be more proud to have the best in the game repping Vegas 🏆
As for Wilson herself, she was just happy the 2K community finally gave her the recognition.
“For me, my agent called,” Wilson said, recalling how she earned of the honor. “And she was like, ‘Hey, you’re going to be on the cover.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, wait, no, about time Ronnie (2K). Damn it.’ But no, it was a big moment.”
For Ronnie’s part, he was quick to celebrate both Tatum and Wilson.
He added on Instagram, “About that time. Can’t wait to be giving out copies as we get close!”
Wilson Is in a Tier Above the Rest
What a year it’s been for Wilson. After winning back-to-back WNBA championships, Nike announced she would receive her own signature shoe in May.
Currently, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu are the only active WNBA players with their own shoe, though Wilson and Caitlin Clark will join them soon.
“The biggest thing for me is I get to showcase what I’ve been working on for a couple of years now in my home state, in my home city,” Wilson told Andscape’s Aaron Dodson at the time of the announcement. “A place where people watched me grow and I raised eyebrows like, ‘Is she really that good?!’ To then seeing me in college and now in the pros.”
Additionally, Wilson released her first book, “Dear Black Girls”, in February. It instantly became a New York Times bestseller. In May, she became the latest addition to Gatorade’s stable of athletes, helping revitalize the brand’s iconic “Is it in you?” campaign.
This summer, she will be part of Team USA at the Paris Olympics as she looks for her second Olympic gold medal.
Oh, and she’ll do that in the middle of another MVP-caliber season for the Aces.