A'ja Wilson

I continue to try to be that face that young girls, particularly Black girls, can have a tangible role model to know that they are going to be okay in this world.

I hated basketball.

People always say defense starts with the heart. I try to have as much heart as I can.

I like to take that challenge of 'Can I guard a 5? Can I guard a 1?' I try to go out there and prove it every time.

If Beyonce ever wants to perform a duet with me, I would be open to it.

I am sick on the microphone. Whatever you want, I can sing it, Auto-Tune or no Auto-Tune.

I hate when people get in my privacy or in my mind, but at the same time, if me talking it out helps the next person, I'm down for it.

So many different things can really hurt you mentally.

You have to protect your peace first; your brand is gonna come with that but your peace is what really matters.

When it comes to big sponsorships... I'm like, well, you're gonna get me and I'm not changing that because that's what needs to be seen.

I don't really pay attention to the outside noise or who is in front of me because I feel God has fully equipped me to be who I am, and I feel he's given me enough to be what I can be. I'm battling with myself at the end of the day.

Like it or love it, I'm gonna be me regardless.

I can still be a princess and still be an elite basketball player, and once I found that out, oh, I was good. I was like, oh, this is me.

People forget that I'm human, that I have emotions. They just see me as a basketball player.

People are going to talk their talk, but at the end of the day, staying true to you, I think it, like, clears up a lot of things.

I'm a type of person where I hate when things have to hit close to home for everyone to jump and be like, 'Oh, my God. We have to change. We have to do something about it.'

I love being the underdog.

I was never the athletic type because I don't like to sweat, and even now I'm a low-key bougie type of athlete because sweat disgusts me.

Proving the haters wrong is fun, and you're able to play freely when there aren't expectations.

I have a huge following from South Carolina and Vegas.

I come from teams where they expect me to do a lot.

I needed my teammates to know I'm going to produce X amount of things every game, because that's how you win, when you can count on people.

Growing up, my parents embedded in my head, 'Don't think you have to hold your tongue just because of what people may say or think.'

You could ask any of my closest friends - they know I'm going to speak what's on my mind.

I'm trying to use my voice to bring people together.

Our fans love us and love the game because it gives people the chance to come and have fun while watching great basketball.

It's something I know my grandfather pounded into my dad's head, and he pounded into mine: Always be a good person. And I carry that over into basketball. I love the game, and I hope to play at the highest level. But I also hope to become a really great teammate, to always have energy, to lift people up when things aren't going well.

My parents helped me so much.

Partnering with Gatorade is a dream come true.

Being taken first by Las Vegas was surreal. Then walking on stage and getting my jersey from WNBA President Lisa Borders, who happens to be a sorority sister. We both are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - which is the oldest African-American sorority dating back to 1908.

I lose sight of who I am, because I'm trying to take care of everyone around me.

I grew up wanting to play in Nike, but both my high school and college wore something else. So to be able to fulfill that childhood dream is special.

I mean that's one of the reasons why I partnered with Mountain Dew because they don't focus on us as athletes, but us off the court, so I'm excited to show the fanbase what else I can do besides put the ball in the hoop.

Oh, man, I'm definitely the Lebron 15 lows type of girl. It's such a light shoe, so I love my LeBron 15s.

Josh Hart and I - we've been close to since we did the Wooden Awards together in college when both of our teams won the national championship. We've always been cool, but I know he always has my back and I always have his.

Due to my collegiate accolades, it was a goal but it was something that I kinda had at the back of my head that I really wanted to go after. Rookie of the Year was really something that I really I didn't pay any mind going into the chapter in my book of life.

This is something that young girls dream of, playing for Team U.S.A. and being an Olympian.

It's OK to have days where you're just like, 'I don't feel like A'ja.' 'I don't want to do this,' and know that you're still OK every step of the way and give yourself some grace.

Me being the first WNBA player with Dew is also special.

For the women, the respect factor is the biggest thing. We don't really get the respect we need. It's not the fans, it's other people that don't follow the league.

People who know me off the court know I express what's on my mind, and I can also take the heat.

My biggest thing was when I became a professional athlete, I would think back and think about times where I kind of saw the WNBA on TV growing up. But like, it's not a vivid memory. Where its not like, 'Wow, I want to be like her.'

We're taught to be strong, independent, always handling things our way. But if you do too much, you're the angry Black woman. 'Calm down.' And it's just like we always have to fight that. I just got so tired of that.

I decided to write 'Dear Black Girls,' because, you know, we have that double minority. It's like, 'OK, I'm Black,' and I'm like, 'OK, now I'm a female, I'm Black.'

Having people recognize you on the court is great. Having someone recognize you in the community, if you take time to go out and talk to them and touch them, it's a huge deal.

Mary J. Blige and 2000s R&B, I love it.

My stage presence is perfect. 'American Idol' should bring me on.

If you would have asked me when I was 16 would I play in the WNBA, I probably would have laughed in your face and said no way I am playing at that level.

I was a really weird kid. My head was huge. I had a skinny body, long arms. My kneecaps were oddly big. I was awkward, quiet, shy. When I would smile, I would never really show my teeth.

I'm a sore loser.