'Once I saw A'ja do it, I did it': How Wilson's leg sleeve inspired a new generation

A'ja Wilson had a problem.

She was a three-time All-American astatine South Carolina. A 2017 nationalist champion. The nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth and No. 1 draught prime successful 2018. But up of her WNBA debut, thing wasn't rather right.

Her legs felt imbalanced whenever she prepared for games. The 6-foot-4 guardant ever seemed to request much clip to get her near limb acceptable compared to her right. That's however she came up with the thought of the single-leg sleeve.

"It came to beingness my rookie twelvemonth erstwhile my mediocre small assemblage assemblage was conscionable transitioning implicit to being a professional," Wilson said up of her Nike signature line's launch. "My near limb conscionable [needed] to beryllium a small spot warmer and acceptable for action. But I don't privation to deterioration the afloat choky ... truthful I decided to chopped the different limb off."

The benignant has captivated the adjacent procreation of hoopers portion transcending the women's crippled and hoops arsenic a whole. From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander successful the 2025 NBA Finals to U.S. women's nationalist shot squad guardant Lynn Williams successful the 2024 Summer Olympics successful Paris, the one-leg choky has taken clasp crossed the sports world.

"She's 1 of the archetypal radical I retrieve wearing a one-leg sleeve and making it their signature look," Minnesota Lynx guardant Alanna Smith told ESPN. "And I deliberation that's been a large power connected a batch of different sports."

And portion Wilson didn't invent the inclination -- that recognition goes to U.S. way and tract superstar Florence Griffith Joyner successful the 1980s -- Wilson is arguably liable for popularizing it among today's athletes.

"Once I saw A'ja bash it, I did it," said Chicago Sky halfway Kamilla Cardoso, different erstwhile South Carolina star.

Adhel Tac, a rising sophomore astatine South Carolina, can't ideate playing without the one-leg tight. If it was associated with the top subordinate successful her school's history, she figured it could go a portion of her identity, too.

"I consciousness weird doing worldly without it," Tac said. "And adjacent astatine practice, determination person been immoderate times wherever I've practiced without it and my teammates look astatine maine brainsick and they're like, 'Oh, what happened to your limb sleeve? Where did it go?'"

Emulating Wilson's signature look has had an empowering effect connected those who person followed successful her footsteps successful Columbia, South Carolina, especially, wherever they are greeted by her statue each clip they locomotion into Colonial Life Arena.

"I consciousness similar it's inspiring for younger kids and radical successful assemblage oregon precocious schoolhouse that if I person a one-leg sleeve, I whitethorn play similar A'ja and everything," South Carolina guardant Maryam Dauda said. "You look guardant to playing similar her successful a definite mode erstwhile you measurement connected the court."

But the afloat grade of that power wasn't realized until May, erstwhile Nike dropped Wilson's long-awaited postulation -- anchored by the A'One sneaker that reportedly sold retired wrong minutes of its online merchandise -- featuring the A'Symmetric tight. Designing her ain enactment was the embodiment of the enactment that has made her a collegiate, WNBA and Olympic champion, but the one-leg sleeve is yet connected to Wilson's interaction connected women's basketball, she told ESPN.

"I wanted to beryllium ace intentional with A'One and each portion successful the apparel line," Wilson said. "Each portion -- from the A'One sneaker to the single-leg legging to the hoodie -- is an authentic portion of maine and tells portion of my story. I've worn single-leg leggings for years, and erstwhile I saw different radical wearing them, I saw the need, truthful I wanted to plan thing that worked, not thing you had to chopped yourself oregon anticipation wouldn't rotation up midgame."

The absorption has been impervious that she is acold much than conscionable an elite hoops player.

"I privation to permission my people connected this game," Wilson said. "Not conscionable however I play, but however I amusement up. So, to person an interaction not lone connected the tribunal but connected the civilization and benignant of the athletics excessively -- that volition beryllium portion of my legacy."

When erstwhile WNBA subordinate Jannon Lampley checks connected her girl Lola earlier bed, she finds the No. 20 enlistee of the 2026 people watching highlights.

"Every night, I would spell successful her room," Lampley said. "Her tv was connected YouTube watching A'ja Wilson."

Long earlier she coached her girl and Lawrence Central High School to the 2024 Indiana authorities title, Lampley (née Roland) helped Purdue scope the Final Four successful 1994 and earned All-Big Ten first-team honors successful 1997. According to her, Wilson is simply a operation of the top players she has ever competed against: She tin dribble, pass, support and people astatine each levels. That prowess has made her a leader among young hoops players -- thing Lampley witnesses astatine prep tournaments astir the country.

"My youngest son, helium plays with the one-leg sleeve," she said. "That's however acold it goes. I spot boys bash it each the clip now."

But determination is different furniture to Wilson's one-leg tight. At 6-1, Lampley ne'er felt similar gangly women were viewed arsenic graceful and stylish erstwhile she played basketball. The single-leg sleeve, she said, and the mode Wilson wears it, person changed that.

"You usually don't spot the gangly players being confident, and she's embraced her femininity," Lampley said. "She brings the manner facet to it. She exudes confidence, elegance."

"You privation to exemplary your crippled aft A'ja and look similar her, but besides successful this time and age, we similar to look bully connected the court," Tac added. "Look good, consciousness good, play good. And possibly it's our hair, makeup, nails, lashes, immoderate the lawsuit whitethorn be. But I consciousness like, astatine slightest for me, arsenic well, wearing the limb sleeve, it's conscionable a portion of the azygous now."

In 2025, Wilson already has it all. She has won each disposable ringing astatine each level. And she has a lucrative woody with Nike, which precocious signed her to a lengthy extension. If she decided to discontinue today, she would beryllium an automatic Hall of Famer and a contender for the top of each clip title.

But the one-leg sleeve volition stay a inclination agelong aft her vocation ends. Because it represents A'ja Wilson and makes players who deterioration it consciousness similar possibly 1 day, they tin beryllium conscionable similar her.

"My cause sent maine a photograph from a girls' hoops invitational, and each the young girls connected the tribunal were wearing one-leg sleeves," Wilson said. "That infinitesimal deed different. It reminded maine that however I amusement up matters, and you ne'er cognize who's watching oregon feeling inspired."