Key Takeaways
- In a Vogue interview, A’ja Wilson described the steady support she receives in her relationship with Bam Adebayo.
- She shared what it was like meeting Beyoncé during a Formula 1 weekend.
- Wilson explained how Alpha Kappa Alpha helped her develop leadership skills beyond basketball.
A’ja Wilson gave fans a rare look beyond the game in her latest Vogue feature.
The Las Vegas Aces star opened up about her personal life, sharing moments that reflect who she is away from the spotlight — from her bond with boyfriend Bam Adebayo to a surreal encounter with Beyoncé. The conversation offered a more intimate glimpse into Wilson as she continues to navigate life at a higher level of visibility.
Her connection with Adebayo, in particular, came through as a meaningful part of that experience, one she spoke about with honesty and care. “I’m in love. But I also have to credit Bam because he loves me properly. I think that doesn’t get talked about a lot,” she said. “He loves me on my days where I don’t know if I love myself, and he does it in a way that’s not love-bombing. It’s more, ‘What do you need?’ Granted, he’s attractive, yes,” she continued with a laugh. “But the real reason is he just knows how to love me properly. And my parents like him.”
According to the outlet, the couple spends their downtime watching TV, training and playing games together. “I really use it to connect with him, pour into him, just be there for him,” Wilson added.
Elsewhere in the interview, the South Carolina native reflected on a moment that left her just as starstruck as anyone else — meeting Beyoncé at Formula 1 last year. “Beyoncé is amazing. Now when I see her, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I met that lady. Get out of the way, everybody.’ Nothing else matters,” she emphasized. That moment highlighted how far her reach now extends. Wilson is not only dominating in the WNBA but also stepping into spaces where sports, fashion and culture collide.
How Alpha Kappa Alpha shaped A’ja Wilson’s leadership
That same sense of identity carried into Wilson’s “In the Bag” video with Vogue, where she broke down the essentials that she keeps with her day-to-day. Alongside everyday items and sentimental pieces, one thing stood out: her Alpha Kappa Alpha lanyard. “Y’all, this is my lanyard… my AKA lanyard that I had since I crossed… Fall ‘17 at the University of South Carolina. Theta Gamma Chapter, you already know what it is… Skee-Wee, my sorors,” she said.
The 29-year-old explained how joining the sorority gave her a life outside of the demands of being a student-athlete: “I am, like, so grateful for the sisterhood that I formed in college through AKA, only because it allowed me to be a woman. It allowed me to be a young girl, because sometimes being a student athlete, you're kind of trapped in this world of just, like, gym, class, gym, class, like, that was it.”
That experience continues to shape how Wilson leads today: “But when I gained my 60 sisters, I got an opportunity to actually enjoy the… college side of it… And so, as I've gotten older and I've become a leader… I have to credit AKA and our sisterhood when it comes to that.”
Between love, culture and sisterhood, this feature made it clear that what Wilson is building off the court carries just as much weight as what she does on it.