WATCH: Bam Adebayo surprised A'ja Wilson with her record-setting 4th WNBA MVP award

by: Zack Geoghegan14 hours agoZGeogheganKSR

Jul 18, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson and boyfriend Miami Heat player Bam Adebayo watch the three-point contest during the 2025 WNBA All Star Skills Challenge at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

For those of you not entrenched in the professional basketball dating scene (a very niche group, I would imagine), former Kentucky big man Bam Adebayo has struck up a relationship with the best women’s player in the world, A’ja Wilson. And Adebayo is perfectly executing his part as the supportive boyfriend.

Before the news of Wilson winning her record-setting fourth WNBA Most Valuable Player award broke on Sunday morning, Adebayo, joined by league commissioner Cathy Engelbert, surprised Wilson with the MVP hardware at the Las Vegas Aces practice facility. Wilson, immediately understanding what was going on, dropped to her knees as the emotions overwhelmed her.

I particularly enjoyed Adebayo awkwardly walking out of frame after handing over the award to not steal any of the spotlight from his significant other. Good decision, Bam.

FOUR. EVER. THE. ONE. 👑

A surprise fit for history. A’ja Wilson adds to her legacy in unforgettable fashion.#KiaMVP | #WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/Vf1EkuWH8d
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 21, 2025

This isn’t the first time this week we’ve seen Adebayo supporting Wilson. After she was named the league’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year (the first time the WNBA split the award into two), Adebayo took to social media in search of answers. “Can somebody explain Co to me right now..?!?” he wrote in defense of Wilson, who shared the honor with Alanna Smith (Lynx).

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Wilson, only eight years into her pro career, has won WNBA MVPs in 2020, 2022, 2024, and now 2025. The South Carolina alum broke a three-way tie for three MVPs with Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson. Wilson received 51 of the 72 first-place votes this time around, beating out Napheesa Collier (Lynx) and Alyssa Thomas (Mercury) for the league’s top individual honor.

Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals in 31.2 minutes per outing across 40 games this season for the Aces, which recently advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Las Vegas will host the Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference semifinals for a three-game series beginning Sunday afternoon (3:00 p.m. ET | ABC).

I already can’t wait to see how Wilson plans to honor Adebayo when he inevitably wins his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year award for the Miami Heat after the upcoming season.