Boosted by a new signature shoe, reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson is flying high. Now, in a new collaboration with Malia Obama, Wilson made another statement, outlining just why she’s at the top of the WNBA pyramid.
Wilson, as the star, and Obama, as the director, combined for an electric collaboration for Wilson’s new Nike signature shoe, the A’One. The two-part promo for the shoe features a catchy, Wilson-focused rendition of the nursery rhyme “Miss Mary Mack” and a follow-up with a girl teaching Wilson the clapping pattern.
Fans React to Viral A’ja Wilson, Malia Obama Collab
Fans across the worlds of sports, sneakers, and film came together to applaud the two promos, which went viral on social media.
Nike released the “One of A’Kind” short, featuring the nursery rhyme, and “Teaching the Pro” short on YouTube on May 3 and 4, respectively. Wilson shared a picture on Instagram with a tag saying “Vignette directed by Malia Obama” during the promotional release.
Malia Obama directed the latest ad for A’ja Wilson’s signature shoe, the Nike A’One 🔥💖 @_ajawilson22 https://t.co/i5QzLrPFWQ pic.twitter.com/40ovXmn0rC
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks)
The combination of Wilson, a three-time WNBA MVP, and Obama, a filmmaker and daughter of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, garnered particular attention. Nike’s campaign marks Obama’s first professional crossover with the WNBA world, and the sheer combined star power of Obama and Wilson has fans wanting more than just the A’One collaboration.
A’ja’s incredible Nike ad was directed by Malia Obama…
Pretty damn cool 👏🏽 https://t.co/kYRrrqk22s
— Vanshay Murdock 🎥🎥 (@VanshayM)
After graduating from Harvard University in 2021, Obama wrote for the television show “Swarm,” created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers. She also wrote and directed a short film, “The Heart,” which made film festival appearances at Telluride, the Chicago International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival in 2024.
Wilson debuted the shoes in the Las Vegas Aces’ preseason game against the Dallas Wings. She also provided A’Ones to the entire Aces team during preseason. The shoes drop publicly on the Nike SNKRS app on May 6 at 10 a.m.
Beyond the sneakers, Wilson, in partnership with Nike and Rebel Girls, will release a book titled “A’ja Wilson: The Best is Yet to Come‚” aimed at inspiring and promoting confidence in Gen Alpha girls.
This is the only valid reaction to getting your A'Ones…..everyone hyped🤣😅.. pic.twitter.com/QcZiu8YJ1K
— A'ja Wilson's White Tee (@PearlJewel73151)
A South Carolina native, Wilson starred for her hometown Gamecocks, taking the team to its first national championship in 2017. She swept the national player of the year award in 2018 and was the slam-dunk No. 1 pick in the 2018 WNBA draft.
Dawn Staley, Wilson’s coach at the University of South Carolina and a famous name in basketball in her own right, made a cameo in the “Miss Mary Mack” short, and both promotional shorts lean into Wilson’s South Carolina connections.
Wilson and the Aces tip off the 2025 season on May 17 against the reigning champion New York Liberty. The Aces, of course, defeated the Liberty in the 2023 Finals, with Wilson being named Finals MVP, to complete a back-to-back title campaign after topping the Connecticut Sun in the 2022 Finals.
