In a moment that’s already ripping through social media like a fast break in overtime, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson—fresh off clinching her fourth WNBA MVP and leading her team to the 2025 championship—didn’t hold back during a post-game interview on the court.
When a reporter dared to broach the topic of Caitlin Clark’s top billing on Forbes’ inaugural “America’s Most Powerful Women in Sports” list, Wilson’s response was as unfiltered as her rebounding game: a defiant middle finger thrust skyward, followed by seven words that have the WNBA world buzzing.
“Clark can have the list—I’ve got the rings.”
The exchange unfolded mere hours after the Aces’ dominant 92-78 victory over the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Finals rematch, a game where Wilson dropped 28 points and 14 rebounds to seal the deal. As confetti rained down on the T-Mobile Arena floor, Wilson, still in her sweat-soaked No. 22 jersey, was cornered by a sideline mic from ESPN.
The question? A seemingly innocuous nod to Forbes’ bombshell ranking, released just six days earlier on October 22, which crowned Clark the No. 4 most powerful woman in American sports—leaping ahead of established icons like Serena Williams (No. 11), Simone Biles (No. 18), and, yes, Wilson herself at No. 15.
Forbes hailed Clark, the 23-year-old Indiana Fever phenom, as a “spark that lit the match that set women’s sports on fire.” Her rookie-year earnings topped $8.1 million, fueled by blockbuster deals with Nike (a reported $28 million over eight years), Wilson sporting goods, and Gatorade.
It’s a narrative that’s propelled the WNBA’s visibility sky-high, with Clark’s arrival correlating to record-breaking viewership and attendance surges. But to Wilson, the league’s undisputed queen with four MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year nod, and now back-to-back titles, the accolade felt like a slight—a shiny magazine nod to hype over hard-earned hardware.
The gesture was pure A’ja: raw, real, and unapologetic. Cameras caught her eyes narrowing, lips pursing into a tight line of displeasure, before she extended that middle finger with the precision of a free throw.
The crowd— a sold-out sea of silver and black—erupted in a mix of cheers and gasps, while Clark, sidelined for the season due to injury, watched from the bench with a frozen smile that screamed awkward. Wilson’s seven-word zinger landed like a dagger: concise, cutting, and dripping with the kind of shade only a four-time MVP can pull off.
Social media ignited faster than a Clark logo three. #AjaMiddleFinger trended worldwide within minutes, racking up over 500,000 mentions on X by midnight.
Fans split down the middle—pun intended. “A’ja just spoke for every vet who’s carried this league while rookies get the glory,” tweeted one supporter, echoing the frustrations of WNBA old guards who see Clark’s meteoric rise as a double-edged sword.
“She’s the face, but Wilson’s the foundation,” added another, sharing a meme of Wilson’s championship parade float photoshopped over Forbes’ glossy cover.
Critics, however, fired back. “Classless. Clark’s elevating ALL boats— including yours, A’ja,” shot one Clark stan, pointing to the Fever guard’s role in doubling WNBA media deals and attendance. The debate spilled into broader conversations about race, marketability, and merit in women’s sports.
Clark, the white, Midwestern sensation from Iowa, has undeniably mainstreamed the league, but Wilson’s gesture underscores a simmering tension: Is “power” measured in endorsements or excellence on the court? Wilson, a Black trailblazer who’s advocated fiercely for pay equity and mental health in the WNBA, has long been vocal about the disparities.
Her signature Nike shoe, the A’One, outsold expectations, yet Clark’s Nike pact dwarfs it in reported value.
This isn’t Wilson’s first brush with controversy. The South Carolina alum has never shied from calling out inequities—remember her 2024 clapback at media narratives pitting her against rookies? But this? This was visceral. As the clip looped endlessly—Wilson’s unhappy scowl, the mic hovering like an unwelcome guest, the finger slicing through the air— it became more than a soundbite. It was a statement. A reminder that power lists are one thing; legacy is another.
League insiders are already spinning damage control. Aces coach Becky Hammon, who also cracked Forbes at No. 22, defended her star in a hasty statement: “A’ja’s passion is what makes her great. She’s earned every bit of her throne.”
The WNBA, riding high on its most lucrative season ever (thanks in no small part to the Clark effect), issued a boilerplate note on “fostering unity.” Clark, ever the diplomat, posted a cryptic IG story: a photo of her recovery workout with the caption, “Grateful for the game. All of it.”
As the dust settles, one thing’s clear: Wilson’s middle finger wasn’t just bitter—it was bold. In a sport where women’s voices are finally amplified, she reminded everyone that power isn’t handed out on paper. It’s forged in the fire of finals, MVPs, and unyielding grit. Clark may top the lists, but Wilson? She’s rewriting the rules.
