TAMPA, Fla. – Shay Holle didn’t expect to meet A’ja Wilson when Texas women’s basketball went to the Las Vegas Aces star’s pop-up for her new Nike signature shoe, the A’One, on Wednesday.
When the Longhorns arrived, they watched a video of Wilson congratulating them on making it to the Final Four. The Gamecocks legend even wished them good luck in their matchup against South Carolina.
As Nike representatives apologized that Wilson couldn’t be there, Wilson’s voice came in through the speakers – then she walked in from the back of the room.
‘We’re all like, ‘Oh my gosh’ – we were already freaking out just about getting the shoes and getting to see the whole thing,’ Holle said Thursday during a media day ahead of the women’s NCAA Tournament Final Four. ‘We are very, very grateful for A’ja and Nike for just allowing us to do that and making it work in our tight schedule. It was really fun.’
Wilson took time to visit with the Longhorns, who all received pairs of the pink A’One. SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker was ‘fangirling for real’ when she met Wilson, who Booker has watched since Wilson’s college career.
Texas senior point guard Rori Harmon said the experience was amazing. She loved the setup – all pink – and she was grateful that Wilson welcomed them with open arms, even with them squaring off against Wilson’s alma mater.
Harmon is still debating if she’s wearing the shoes in the Final Four matchup. But Booker and Holle are planning to wear them when No. 1 seed Texas (35-3) faces No. 1 seed South Carolina (34-3) in the Final Four at Amalie Arena on Friday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Longhorns got to test out Wilson’s shoe in practice Thursday, and Booker, Harmon and Holle all had glowing reviews, saying they ‘felt great.’ Harmon liked how lightweight the shoes are, and said they’re perfect for the way she likes to play. Holle’s feet are ‘kind of picky,’ but she didn’t have any problems.
‘I love them, honestly,’ Holle said. ‘They felt good, and they looked really cute, so no complaints.’
Holle has worn Sabrina Ionescu’s signature shoe for most of the season. Texas gets a lot of Longhorns alum Kevin Durant’s signature shoes, but Holle loves being able to wear the shoe of a women’s basketball player she watches. She followed Wilson and Ionescu during college and still watches them in the WNBA.
‘That’s someone you really look up to when you’re a little girl playing basketball,’ Holle said. ‘So being able to wear their shoes is really cool. … People are appreciating and recognizing the women’s game a lot more and the work that they put into it. And that they deserve their own shoes, too, like, duh, come on.’
Wilson is the first Black woman to receive a signature shoe since Tennessee great Candace Parker got a signature shoe with Adidas in 2011. Wilson’s shoe means a lot for women’s basketball, Booker said, and she’s happy with the direction the sport is going in.
‘I think that’s why I want to wear the shoes, to kind of keep repping for her, because that’s big that she got a shoe,’ Booker said. ‘That’s very hard. She went through a lot of milestones in her career just to get that shoe.’
Harmon is happy that Wilson is getting the recognition to match her dominance on the court, and said the three-time WNBA MVP is a great role model for young girls and boys.
‘She’s been killing it for a while now, and I’m just glad that she got what she deserved,’ Harmon said. ‘I’m just glad that she’s kind of the focal point right now, because she really does deserve to be. … I like that she’s basically the face of women’s basketball.’