Sometimes the game becomes a battle of wills, you either have it or you don’t, but A’ja Wilson isn’t just trying hard to win. this Even as a two-time WNBA champion, there is still so much more to do, achieve, win and strive for.
She faces the same questions that drove Gatorade’s latest campaign, one that harkens back to the brand’s heyday, when Michael Jordan drank Citrus Cooler Gatorade in a glass bottle. She’s been tested, pushed and proven. She’s risen to the top, built a dynasty and become an icon. Those challenges resonate deeply with Aja’s journey, a defining moment when you must choose to dig deep or settle. And Aja Wilson is never satisfied.
She points to the 2023 WNBA Finals as evidence of the latter. that “There were so many challenges, success or failure. Preparation has prepared me for this moment,” Wilson told SLAM.
That perspective became clear in mid-April, when Gatorade was filming the commercial that’s unfolding as you read this article. Dating back to the late ’90s, Gatorade revived its “Is It In You?” campaign with a 60-second spot featuring A’ja and the brand’s elite athletes.
When the brand presented her with marketing materials that encapsulated the vibe and energy of the revamped concept, A’ja went beyond excited to delight: She felt a connection.
“I’m really excited beyond words to be going back to the old-school vintage stuff that we really grew up on,” Wilson told SLAM. “As a kid of the ’90s, growing up watching MJ and all the other athletes, and finally being a part of those commercials that I used to watch, and now I’m part of the family. I’m super excited.”
We learned exclusively that Aja will be joining Gatorade’s elite roster in early May. The brand has a decades-long history of nourishing athletes, and Wilson is eager to showcase the more personable side of himself and his fellow athletes.
“When you look at this roster and see what we’re doing with Gatorade, I think we’re like, ‘Yeah, we grew up with this, but; Grown Up “This has really made us adults, and now we’re representing that, which is really amazing,” Aja told SLAM. “A lot of people look at our members and our accolades and think, oh my god, they’re the elite of the elite, but they might not know that we’re full human beings navigating the world. So I think when I see that human side, the kid side, Aja’s tweet, I’m like, no, at the end of the day, they’re still human.”
Gatorade that It permeates the athlete’s inner self. As the environment has changed, so has the mission of the brand’s modernized campaign. Today’s athletes face a constant stream of external pressures and expectations, from social media to finding the perfect team and training environment in an ecosystem full of endless opportunities.
For Aja, her authenticity as an athlete and a Black woman is ever-present. It’s what connects her to who she is. She’s authentic, hilarious, and unashamed. Over the years, she’s navigated these moments with grace and superiority. Her will has been tested, questioned and praised, but as she describes her mindset and how she stays focused, the Las Vegas Aces’ team slogan from last season resurfaces:
Stay calm in the midst of noise.
“You can’t escape it. It’s always there, but the difference between good and great is how you manage that noise and stay calm in the midst of it,” Aja explains. “What do you do in those moments? How do you get really in tune with yourself? I think that’s really important with Gatorade. If you’re not really in tune with yourself and where you are, you’re not going to be able to communicate that to other people.”
Photo from Gatorade.
