Aces star’s signature shoe quickly sells out; team shows support — PHOTOS
A’ja Wilson keeps winning.
Every size of the Aces star’s new A’One signature Nike shoe sold out in minutes Tuesday morning, hours before the team’s 85-84 preseason victory over the Phoenix Mercury at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The limited launch made Wilson’s “Pink A’ura” debut colorway available to all consumers for the first time at 7 a.m. PT. Less than five minutes later, Nike’s website displayed a “sold out” message for anyone still attempting to buy. The number of shoes made available was undisclosed.
After the quick development, Wilson thanked fans for their support via social media and offered an assurance that more units of the shoe will be on sale in person soon.
“This morning was wild,” the three-time WNBA MVP wrote on Instagram. “If you missed the A’One, don’t worry. We’re dropping again Thursday at Nike stores and other spots everywhere. I do this for the real ones, always,” adding four pink heart emojis.
The shoe’s original listing price was $110 for adults and $90 for “big kids,” but resellers have already listed the product for nearly triple the cost on platforms such as “StockX.”
Wilson, 28, gifted each of her teammates a pair of A’Ones during a closed portion of Sunday’s training camp practice.
“To be able to share that with my teammates was incredible,” Wilson said Monday. “I know they’d all been asking me. I couldn’t give them to them yet, I wanted to make sure it was the perfect time, so to see them rocking them is truly special.”
The Aces called Tuesday’s exhibition game “A’One Night” and partnered with Nike to offer giveaways and activations for fans in attendance. Every Aces player who isn’t sponsored by a non-Nike shoe company wore Wilson’s signature shoe during the game.
College, NBA crossovers
The Aces won’t be the first team to wear the shoe, as Nike provided them to the Texas women’s basketball team in April when it faced Wilson’s alma mater South Carolina in the Final Four.
South Carolina couldn’t wear the shoes because of its deal with Under Armour. UNLV doesn’t have that issue, with its sports teams having worn Nike for decades, allowing the Lady Rebels to wear the A’One next season.
Coach Lindy La Rocque said the team had made up its mind to do so before they were unveiled in February.
“(Assistant coach) Mia Bell and our equipment staff do a great job of getting our team the best gear,” La Rocque said. “We had to sign up for them without even knowing what they looked like. We got them ordered and got our sizes in. So I’m not sure when they’ll get here, but we will definitely have them for next season.”
Wilson has already revealed two other colors of her shoe — white “OG Pearl” and an unnamed blue style. Both are set to be released at an undisclosed date. Wilson’s boyfriend, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, has worn the white A’Ones in NBA competition.
Wilson’s shoe was promoted in its first commercial Sunday, which later made its TV debut during the NBA playoffs. Another ad, also set in Wilson’s hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, was released the next day. It was directed by Malia Obama, daughter of former President Barack Obama.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.
