Coco Gauff reacts to 'inspirational' A'ja Wilson winning 3rd WNBA MVP award with historic unanimous vote
Coco Gauff has shared her appreciation for A'ja Wilson winning the 2024 WNBA MVP award. The Las Vegas Aces star became only the fourth player in the league's history to earn the honor for a third time, joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson in the elite list.
The Las Vegas Aces have commenced their quest for a third consecutive WNBA championship with a win over the Seattle Storm in the playoffs. A'ja Wilson's exceptional performance during the regular season has been instrumental in the team's success.
The 28-year-old shattered several records during her stellar season, setting a new single-season scoring average of 26.9 points per game and becoming the first player in WNBA history to cross the 1000-point threshold, finishing with 1,021 total points. Furthermore, Wilson became the first player to lead the league in total points, rebounds and blocks (98) in one season.
A'ja Wilson's unparalleled achievements this year culminated in a unanimous MVP vote, with her receiving all 67 first-place votes. The Las Vegas Aces star made history with her win, becoming the first player to earn the honor unanimously since Cynthia Cooper in the WNBA's inaugural season in 1997.
Coco Gauff, who recently signaled her appreciation for A'ja Wilson's impressive milestone of crossing 1,000 points in a single season, took to social media and shared a post celebrating the 28-year-old's MVP award win.
Gauff and Wilson also had an adorable interaction during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, with the World No. 6 sharing her love for the "inspirational" WNBA star.
"I love you so much. You're so inspirational," Gauff said.
As the pair posed for pictures together, the 20-year-old told Wilson that she played basketball when she was younger but confessed that she "wasn't good." However, the WNBA star kindly reassured Gauff, calling her "amazing."
"I used to play a little basketball, but I wasn't good," Gauff said.
"You're amazing. You're amazing," Wilson responded.
Coco Gauff on prioritizing her tennis pursuits over basketball: "I ended up missing my All-Star game because I had to play the junior US Open"
During a press conference at the 2024 Australian Open, Coco Gauff opened up about pursuing track and basketball when she was younger, disclosing that her parents didn't want her to limit herself to just one sport.
However, the 20-year-old ultimately chose to prioritize her tennis career, opting to miss her basketball All-Star game to compete in the girls' singles event at the 2017 US Open, where she lost to compatriot Amanda Anisimova in the final.
"I did do track and basketball. I really love track. I think I would have been a good 400 runner," Coco Gauff said.
"I think it just keeps it fun. My parents always never wanted me to specify in a sport, which is why when I was 13, I knew that I was going to play tennis, but they still put me in basketball and track. I ended up missing my All-Star game because I had to play the junior US Open. I made the finals of that tournament," she added.
Coco Gauff has arrived in Beijing for her campaign at the China Open, entering the WTA 1000 event as the fourth seed. Following a first-round bye, the American will face the winner of the match between Clara Burel and Caroline Dolehide.