Last season, A’ja Wilson was the MVP, but couldn’t secure the championship for her team. But this season, the Aces superstar was back hungrier, and as the season ended, she stands at the top of the mountain with a championship, alongside being the MVP, Finals MVP, and DPOY. Her achievements this season were a rare phenomenon in the world of W and a feat very few achieved in the NBA. Naturally, the praise from former and current NBA stars would fall in.

Dwayne Wade, being the Chicago Sky’s minority owner, made sure to keep the rivalry aside to celebrate Wilson. He shared the post from WNBA, “RARE COMPANY 👑 A’ja Wilson joins Bill Russell as the only players in WNBA or NBA history to win 3 MVPs and 3 championships in a 4-season span!” with a motivating message of his own. The Heat legend added, “Legendary at 29! Congrats @ajawilson and Aces on their 3rd 🏆.” As a girl-dad, it is essential for Wade that his daughters resonate with athletes to perform at the top level.

That’s why he was eager to invest in the WNBA in the first place. And A’ja Wilson’s performance today and throughout the season proves she deserves the flowers. After all, she became the first player to simultaneously win the title of leading scorer, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP. Even in the final game, her display was majestic, and she led from the front on both ends of the floor.

Wilson scored 31 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out four assists, had three blocks and two steals. All this in 36 gruelling minutes of action, where she made 7-of-21 field goals. This was on the back of her game-ending bucket in game 3, which helped the Aces stay ahead 3-0.

With just 5 seconds remaining, the 4x MVP had the possession and had all the intentions of scoring. The double-team of Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner made it difficult for her. However, Wilson found nothing but net with her last-second midrange bucket. And this season was never perfect for the Becky Hammon-coached team.

They were .500 on Aug. 2 following a 53-point loss. Despite that, the resurgence kicked in and the Aces went on to a subsequent 16-game winning streak to end the regular season as the No. 2 seed.

That’s why even Pau Gasol, a close confidant of the WNBA, and another girl-dad were celebrating this Finals win. “Congratulations Champs!! 🏆,” wrote the former 2x NBA champion and the Lakers icon.

Becky Hammon used a page out of Gregg Popovich’s book to create a dynasty with A’ja Wilson being the centerpiece

Before accepting the reins of the Aces, Hammon was an assistant to the Spurs team. Naturally, she learned a few tricks that helped the Spurs create their dynasty with Tim Duncan. The commentator narrated the similarity during Game 4 of the Finals: “She said, ‘I used that same mindset with A’ja Wilson. I went to her and said, ‘I have got to be able to coach you hard in front of other people. So, if I’m holding you accountable, everybody else on this team has to be accountable.'”

Furthermore, A’ja Wilson had no problem, as this allowed Hammon to push her harder, and now we have the results. Before Hammon, Wilson was already a 1st overall pick in 2018. Her coaching stint with the Aces would start 4 years later. In that time, the team made the Finals in only one out of four years. Also, didn’t even make the postseason in another instance. That’s why it was important for the coach to start a strong relationship with the team leader.

“To me, leadership is about relationships. So the better I get to know them, the better I know how to coach them and get the best out of them.” The results are based on Hammon’s statement, as the Aces won the third title in her tenure, alongside A’ja Wilson, who continues to break and make records at the WNBA level and even challenges the NBA icons.