A’ja Wilson dropped out of Team USA’s final roster days before the squad headed to Berlin for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Health concerns and general fatigue have been cited as the determining factors behind her decision as Wilson prepares for the Las Vegas Aces’ playoff run come Sept. 27.
However, former ESPN analyst Linda Cohn believes there’s more to Wilson’s reasoning than meets the eye.
Linda Cohn Suggests A’ja Wilson May Be ‘Insecure’ About Caitlin Clark’s Star Power
On Thursday, Cohn posted a clip from her show, “The Linda Cohn Show,” with the caption, “Will Team USA miss A’ja Wilson?? Or will Wilson regret not playing through her ‘health reasons’ to help Caitlin Clark and company?”
She then questioned Wilson’s motives behind abruptly pulling out of the World Cup, saying:
“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? Because let’s face it, Caitlin walks into a building and the attention follows her. She’s already getting enormous attention in Berlin.
“… Could A’ja simply not want to deal with that? Could there be some insecurity, dare I say? Could she be thinking, ‘I’m the four-time MVP, I’m the best player in the world. Why does everything have to be about Caitlin Clark?'”
Cohn went on to note that Wilson’s decision may have “absolutely nothing” to do with Clark, either. She then cited her health issue not being “disclosed” and Clark, her “biggest MVP competition,” showing up as primary reasons for her speculation.
Will Team USA miss Aja Wilson?? Or will Wilson regret not playing thru her “health reasons” to help Caitlin Clark and company. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/JMZsQzIPUV
— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) September 4, 2026
It’s unclear whether Cohn’s theory is accurate, given that Wilson and her camp have not addressed the last-minute dropout.
Wilson did have nagging back issues in August, which led to her showing up on the injury report as “questionable” before an Aug. 23 game against the Toronto Tempo. She ended up playing, dropping 27 points in 30 minutes.
Wilson also played all but one game in August, which perhaps brought forth more doubt within Cohn.
It isn’t all doom and gloom regarding the Wilson narrative, however. Former NBA player Etan Thomas stood up for the two-time WNBA Finals MVP, saying:
“Y’all do know that nobody is obligated to play for the U.S. Team for the World Cup, right? A’ja Wilson is the best women’s basketball player on planet Earth. She can do whatever she wants to do.”
Team USA has found replacements for Wilson and Kelsey Plum, who has been ruled out due to a lingering lower-leg injury, amid this discourse.
Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron, the Washington Mystics’ young All-Stars, will take center stage in Berlin.
Iriafen will have quite the mighty task of holding down the frontcourt on both ends of the floor and making sure the U.S. doesn’t feel Wilson’s absence too much.
So, while debates on the true reasoning behind Wilson’s decision rage on, Team USA will continue to be the favorite entering the World Cup.
