A'ja Wilson inks multi-year partnership with Gatorade

After helping the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back WNBA titles, A’ja Wilson is cashing in ahead of the 2024 season.

The two-time MVP is signing a multi-year partnership with Gatorade, the company announced. Wilson is the latest high-profile female athlete to join forces with Gatorade, along with Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Serena Williams and Suni Lee. NBA star Luka Doncic is also part of the roster.

“We’re thrilled about the addition of A’ja Wilson to our elite athlete roster ahead of the 2024 WNBA season,” said Gatorade head of marketing Jeff Kearney in a statement. “A’ja has already had an outstanding career full of many accomplishments, and we’re excited to be fueling her as she furthers her impact within sport and beyond.” 

Gatorade is the latest addition to Wilson’s growing portfolio of endorsement deals. Last year, she became the first female athlete to land a partnership with Ruffles and the first WNBA player to sign on with Mountain Dew. Those came after she inked a deal with Nike upon her arrival in the W in 2018. Wilson also recently released her first book, Dear Black Girls.

“Partnering with Gatorade is a dream come true,” Wilson said in a statement. “They’ve been fueling me on and off the court since I started out, and like I’ve said before – Gatorade helped me get my MVP, for sure.”

Wilson was a crucial part of the Aces’ journey to back-to-back WNBA titles. Last season, she averaged a career-high 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks to with 1.4 steals en route to a second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award. That was an impressive follow-up to a 2022 season in which Wilson’s stat line included 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals to her second MVP award.

The Aces drafted Wilson with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 out of South Carolina, where she helped Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks to their first national championship in 2017. She earned Most Outstanding Player during that year’s NCAA Tournament as she rattled off a run of three straight consensus All-American seasons before heading to the WNBA.

Las Vegas is gearing up for its lone preseason game against the Puerto Rican National Team May 11 on the campus of South Carolina, which just won its second title in three years over Clark and Iowa as part of a perfect 38-0 season. Then, the Aces will get ready for the regular-season opener May 14 against Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury.