NIke debuted the first commercial for A'ja Wilson's signature shoe this weekend during a slew of WNBA preseason games, including the Indiana Fever's match against Brazil. The commercial is impactful and special; it was clearly crafted by a thoughtful team who wanted to communicate Wilson's message. It turns out that the director is someone many of us know well, albeit from an entirely different setting: Malia Obama.
The Nike A'One will launch on the SNKERS app on Tuesday, May 6, and is already available on resell sites. The shoe will undoubtedly be a hit; Wilson is a 3-time WNBA MVP and expected to lead the Las Vegas Aces to what could be a championship season for the team. The first commercial for the sneaker needed to communicate who Wilson is and celebrate all that she has accomplished, and Obama's directorial effort certainly did that.
FUN FACT: Malia Obama was one of the directors on @_ajawilson22's latest Nike ad 👏 https://t.co/dbEiFdkA9Z pic.twitter.com/3U4RcsHH3y
— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) May 4, 2025
Obama received two credits for the project: one as a director of the primary commercial and a second as principal director for a minute-long vignette that featured Wilson playing a hand clapping game with a young girl, who walks her through the song: "A'ja Wilson's on top, top, top/Can't take her spot, spot, spot..."
A'ja Wilson's signature shoe was designed for the future
Wilson has shared a lot about her upcoming shoe ahead of its release. In an interview published on Nike.com in February, she emphasized the shoe was designed with future generations of hoopers in mind as well as for herself; the goal is to elevate women's basketball players as a group.
The shoe took two years to develop and produce. "From the beginning, we designed the shoe to both accentuate my game and to provide young hoopers a tool to help them push their limits," Wilson explained.
The silhouette of the shoe is both comfortable and cool; the base is firm, allowing the wearer to ground themselves and maximize explosiveness on the court. The Pink A'ura will be the first colorway to launch, and the color is a nod to Wilson's absolute favorite. The show also includes references to a pearl necklace gifted to Wilson by her grandmother and the Celtic symbols for mom and dad.
A'ja Wilson is celebrating the WNBA's growth
The timing of the shoe's release is coinciding with a period of enormous growth within the WNBA. In an interview shared by Taylor Rocha of KTNV in February Wilson noted the league has "always looked like this to me" but that there's still plenty of room for more — and she wants it all. "But we still have a long way to go... I'm not about to be just satisfied because we're getting loved. I'm greedy. We want more," Wilson explained.
That was likely a reference to upcoming CBA negotiations, which are happening now and will continue throughout the season (the current WNBA CBA expires in October of this year). Players are hoping to gain more share of the league's revenue as well as improved facilities for every team, two goals that are more than justified. Women's basketball has seen a dramatic increase in fan support and attendance, which is driven by a genuine interest in and love for the athletes on the floor — and it's about time those athletes are properly compensated and supported as they play the sport that's so belov