Dawn Staley Makes It Extremely Clear Who She Thinks Is the Best Player in the WNBA

Dawn Staley is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in women’s basketball history. While she was a tremendous player herself, her coaching—particularly over the last 17 seasons at South Carolina—has firmly placed her among the game’s elite.

Among all the talent she has coached, one player stands out above the rest: A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.

Wilson attended South Carolina from 2014 to 2018, helping the Gamecocks win a national championship in 2017 and earning National Player of the Year honors in 2018.

In the WNBA, Wilson recently captured her third MVP award in 2024. Although the Aces started the season slowly, they have since gone on a 13-game winning streak and currently sit at 27-14, tied for the second-best record in the league behind the Minnesota Lynx (32-9)—whom the Aces defeated on Thursday night.

Following that victory, Staley—who is very active on social media—made it clear that Wilson is the undisputed best player in the WNBA, even as Napheesa Collier positions herself as the favorite for this year’s MVP.

"The [expletive] best in the world @_ajawilson22. Argue with…….a wall!!!" Staley posted.