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Why WNBA's A’ja Wilson Says Met Gala Prep Feels Just Like Game Day
When A'ja Wilson gets to the line, Bam Adebayo is there to make sure she stays balanced.
"He'll do the smallest of things, like opening a car door when he feels like I'm overstimulated," the Las Vegas Aces' star center—and 2026 ESPYs nominee for Best Athlete, Women's Sports, and Best WNBA Player—said on The Run-Through With Vogue in March, "or like having just a moment where he just holds my hand and knows if I'm getting too high, if my anxiety is blowing out the water."
As a standout center for the Miami Heat, Adebayo—also an ESPYs nominee heading into the July 15 ceremony, Best Single-Game Performance for his historic 83-point showing against the Washington Wizards in March—certainly gets both the pressure of outside expectations and the kind that comes from within.
So, when he and Wilson first got together in 2021, neither felt compelled to promote their game of one-on-one.
"The best thing about our relationship, we started out as great friends,” Adebayo told TIME when the magazine named Wilson Athlete of the Year in December 2025. “We didn’t just jump to, ‘Hey, what’s up? You and I will make a great thing.' Nah, we really eased into this.”
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But they sparked speculation early, Adebayo telling reporters in August 2021 when asked what he thought about Wilson, "I always tell her, you know, when I see her, she's the GOAT. She doesn't agree with it, but I did a little MVP chant every once in a while, just for kicks and giggles."
Eventually their displays of affection became undeniable—not least the custom handshake they still break out to celebrate each other's triumphs—though it would be several years before they confirmed that they were a couple, taking pains to keep their relationship out of the spotlight.
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But in September 2024, Wilson watched Adebayo be presented with a key to Miami-Dade County, and then he wore her signature Nikes on the court during a Jan. 25, 2025, game. And he was there the following month when the University of South Carolina—where Wilson led the Gamecocks to their first NCAA championship in 2017—retired her No. 22 jersey.
Less than two weeks later, Wilson told People during NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, "My NBA All-Star is not here."
Adebayo was busy "getting the rest he needs," she explained, "and that's the best Valentine gift that I can truly give him, is just the rest."
And after that, there was no more jumping through hoops to figure out their relationship status. Speaking to TIME, Wilson called Adebayo her "life partner" and said starting a family "is always a dream."
"I hope I'm not wasting my time," she quipped when the question of when they might get married was posed. "I hope he’s not wasting his time."
To which Adebayo cracked, "Y’all will know, because people are nosy and they’ll look at her hands. There you go.”
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But however the Newark, N.J., native proposes, it'll be tailored to his future wife's tastes, let alone ring size.
"I'm in love," Wilson told Vogue in March, "but I also have to credit Bam because he loves me properly. I think that doesn't get talked about a lot. He loves me on my days where I don't know if I love myself, and he does it in a way that's not love-bombing. It's more, 'What do you need?'"
And while their shared calendar is packed, Wilson uses whatever downtime they have "to connect with him, pour into him, just be there for him."
They also train together, the 29-year-old telling TIME, "We sharpen each other’s skills. That’s kind of what makes us go. The gym is a happy place."
Moreover, she told Vogue, "Bam never shies away from the work. It motivates me to want to be great for him."
And vice versa, Adebayo telling TIME, "That's what makes it so great. We’re striving for the same thing. We want each other to be better. We want to make it easier on one another, and we want to do this together. She’s a strong Black woman, man, and she does it with so much grace and positivity.”
The 28-year-old also relishes her wins as much as his own, surprising Wilson at practice with the trophy when she was named league MVP for a record fourth time in September.
"That's the thing about shared success," Adebayo told reporters after Wilson went on to win her third WNBA championship with the Aces on Oct. 10. "You're blessed to be a part of it, you're blessed to see somebody have that much success."
Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images
And Wilson—who used the word "boyfriend" publicly for the first time a couple weeks later when she was inducted into her alma mater's Athletics Hall of Fame—considers Adebayo no less than "perfect." (Even though, as she noted in her speech, he went to "Ken-yucky.")
Supporting each other is "just what we do," she explained to Good Morning America's Robin Roberts in November. "That's our foundation that we just built when our relationship first started. We were like, 'This isn't going to be easy with our schedules and our lifestyle,' but at the end of the day, if we want it to work, we're going to make it work for each other."
On down days, "you have to show up," she continued, "because you know the work that it took to get to that point."
"In my eyes, he's perfect," Wilson added with a huge smile. "He can do no wrong. Obviously, he's human, but the support that he gives always, it's just incredible to think that I've kind of met my match."
Which is why Adebayo has been her MVP for five years and counting. See more WNBA players who've met their match:
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Angel Reese
"I think the next time I'll post I'm in a relationship is when I'm married," WNBA standout Angel Reese shared during a January 2025 episode of her Unapologetically Angel podcast, explaining a newfound desire for privacy. "You might see me on a date. You gonna have to catch me though. Like, I’m not gonna post a man on my page."
Still, there have been definitive clues that the Bayou Barbie has found her Ken in Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. "That’s a sign," the Atlanta Dream power forward captioned a TikTok showcasing an impressive arrangements of roses, "that’s a signnnn." And it was certainly a big play when the Duke alum turned up to the 2025 WNBA All-Star game sporting a t-shirt baring Reese's visage.
The NCAA champ—set to appear on season two of The Hunting Wives—returned the favor, attending a December 2025 Magic game in a jersey emblazoned with the words "My Man."
Steph Chambers/Getty Images
A'ja Wilson
Game recognizes game, and three-time WNBA champion A'ja Wilson has found her ace of hearts in Bam Adebayo.
The low-key couple first sparked dating rumors in the summer of 2024, and A'ja confirmed their romance with a bit of a pump fake when she showed up at NBA All Star Weekend in February 2025.
"My NBA All-Star is not here," the Las Vegas Aces center told People, acknowledging that the Miami Heat center hadn't made the roster. But Bam was busy "getting the rest he needs," she added, "and that's the best Valentine gift that I can truly give him, is just the rest."
And they're only heating up, Bam showing up to support A'ja—who made her fifth straight All-Star team—during the WNBA All-Star festivities in July 2025.
Months later, in her TIME Athlete of the Year cover story, she revealed they'd actually been huddled up way longer than fans realized, making that first move at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Next up: Adding to their squad. "That is always a dream," she said of having kids with Bam. "This is my life partner. Honestly, what on earth was my world before you? That’s how much he’s impacted my life, my family’s life."
Sabrina Ionescu/Instagram
Sabrina Ionescu
Sabrina Ionescu has racked up an impressive haul of trophies playing for the New York Liberty, WNBA All-Stars and U.S. Olympic team, but the day she married NFL player Hroniss Grasu is especially close to her heart.
"March 10, 2024. The day I got to marry my best friend, my other half," she captioned her Instagram wedding photo. "The best day of my life."
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Marta Xargay Casademont & Breanna Stewart
Three-time WNBA champion Breanna Stewart met her love match with Spanish basketball player Marta Xargay Casademont. They connected as teammates on a Russian professional women's basketball team in 2018 and got engaged and married in 2021. They welcomed their first child Ruby in August 2021, followed by their son Theo in October 2023.
Marta retired from the sport in 2021, but continues to support her wife's career, writing on Instagram after Breanna's New York Liberty won the 2024 Finals, "So freaking proud of you!"
Caitlin Clark
Indiana Fever megastar Caitlin Clark has been dating basketball player and former Butler University assistant coach Connor McCaffery since April 2023.
The pair haven't been shy about celebrating their love on social media, with Connor posting a sweet birthday tribute for his girlfriend's 23rd birthday: "You have an incredible ability to inspire and lift up those around you, and I am lucky to learn from you every day. Thank you for always being you. I love you."
Carl Timpone/BFA.com/Shutterstock
Brittney Griner
Before she became one of the most decorated WNBA players of all time, Brittney Griner met her wife Cherelle while the two were students at Baylor University in Texas.
They were married in June 2019 and Cherelle fiercely advocated for the Connecticut Sun star when she was detained in Russia for 10 months on drug charges in 2022.
Brittney and her wife, now a lawyer, welcomed their son Bash on July 8, 2024.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Betnijah Laney
New York Liberty shooting guard and 2021 WNBA All-Star Betnijah Laney is married to fellow basketball player Jordan Hamilton, who started for the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Houston Rockets during his NBA career.
In an Instagram tribute for their second wedding anniversary in 2023, Betnijah wrote, "Your arms are my favorite place to be."
Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
Diana Taurasi & Penny Taylor
After dating for eight years, Diana Taurasi married her Phoenix Mercury teammate Penny Taylor on May 13, 2017. Now both retired from the sport, the iconic WNBA couple have more time to spend with their young children, Leo and Isla.
The Hapa Blonde/GC Images
Azzi Fudd & Paige Bueckers
After a few weeks of speculation, Dallas Wings point guard Paige Bueckers confirmed in July 2025 that she was dating Azzi Fudd, her former teammate on the UConn’s women’s basketball team.
And with Azzi selected first overall by the Wings in the 2026 draft, the two are exicted to pair up on and off the hardwood. "I'm excited to play again with Paige," Azzi told ESPN during draft night April 13. "She's an incredible person. An incredible player, and it's gonna be a lot of fun."
Katie Lou Samuelson/Instagram
Katie Lou Samuelson
Prior to playing for the Indiana Fever in 2024 and re-joining the Seattle Storm in February 2025, Katie Lou Samuelson was busy with her life off the court. She married basketball player Devin Cannady in April 2023 and the couple announced the birth of their daugher Aliya in August 2023.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Napheesa Collier
WNBA superstar Napheesa Collier can add devoted wife and mom to her long list of achievements (which includes two Olympic gold medals and 2025 All-Star Game MVP).
In October 2019, the Minnesota Lynx forward got engaged to basketball skills coach Alex Bazzell and they were married three years later. In 2022, they welcomed daughter Mila Sarah Bazzell.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Allie Quigley & Courtney Vandersloot
Chicago Sky teammates Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot were married in December 2018 and share daughter Jana, who was born on April 8, 2025.
The winning pair are not only the first married couple to win a professional sports championship together (2021 WNBA Finals), but in May 2025, Vandersloot surpassed her wife's record as the all-time leading scorer for the Chicago Sky.
Quinn Harris/Getty Images
DeWanna Bonner & Alyssa Thomas
In March 2021, Alyssa Thomas shared on social media that she was dating her then-Connecticut Sun teammate, DeWanna Bonner.
The pair got engaged in 2023 when Alyssa proposed during the WNBA All-Star Weekend. DeWanna is also mom to twins Cali and Demi, who she had in 2017 with ex-wife and former Phoenix Mercury teammate, Candice Dupree.
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