A'ja Wilson sat out the 2026 FIBA World Cup earlier this month, missing the chance to win gold with her USA Basketball teammates in Berlin. Now, Wilson and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon are defending that decision.
Wilson pulled her name from the roster on August 31st after battling back and right leg injuries through the summer.
"I mean it was a major decision," she told reporters from team practice in Las Vegas. "I don’t even think it was necessarily getting ready for the postseason, it was just taking care of my body, and what I need to do."
A'ja Wilson tells reporters that she did not participate in the FIBA World Cup because she did not feel 100% physically.
— ESPN 1100/100.9 FM (@ESPNLasVegas) September 15, 2026
Wilson said it had less to do with prioritizing the #Aces playoff run and more to do with her own health, a decision HC Becky Hammon supported fully.… pic.twitter.com/4qKQSFxQmY
Critics Raise Question as A'ja Wilson Skips 2026 FIBA World Cup
The four-time WNBA MVP showed up on the Aces' injury list twice the week before this year's international tournament. Yet former ESPN host Linda Cohn questioned whether "insecurity" motivated the decision to skip out.
"Is there any part of A'ja that didn't want to spend the next couple of weeks watching the World Cup become the Caitlin Clark show?" she asked on The Linda Cohn Show.
Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, responded sharply to Cohn's suggestion, demanding a public apology on Wilson's behalf.
"What disappointing, delusional, and dangerous commentary targeting a great ambassador and GOAT athlete," King wrote.
Las Vegas Aces Coach Becky Hammon Defends Star Center
Though Wilson hasn't responded to Cohn's comments, Hammon is echoing King's statement. The decorated coach pointed out that male NBA stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry consistently pass on the World Cup without drawing the same questions.
"A'ja has every right to do what she feels is best health wise," she said. "If this was a man making this decision, there would be nothing to say. And that's my problem."
The Las Vegas Aces are now preparing for the 2026 playoffs, sitting third in the WNBA standings with just two regular-season weeks left to play.
