Following their trailblazing performances in the past year, highlighted by the 2024 Paris Olympics, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson and UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles were featured on the cover of Time magazine’s annual “Women of the Year” issue.
The issue, published Thursday morning, spotlights women’s sports. Wilson’s achievements included winning a gold medal with Team USA and becoming the first WNBA player to score 1,000 points in a single season and the first Black WNBA player to have a signature shoe since 2010. Chiles won gold in the gymnastics team event in Paris.
The issue also touches on overcoming adversity, particularly Wilson’s experience after the Aces’ bid for a WNBA championship three-peat fell short.
WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and gymnast Jordan Chiles became fast friends in the lead-up to the 2024 Olympics.
For TIME’s annual Women of the Year issue, the athletes reunite for a conversation about a game-changing year in women’s sports https://t.co/azDx5uxuax pic.twitter.com/iPixvyBLUx
— TIME (@TIME) February 20, 2025
“Not getting the three-peat was hard,” Wilson told Time. “The regret is the hardest part that I’ve had to deal with in this offseason, because I’m like, ‘What could I have done differently to get a different outcome?’ When in reality, it just wasn’t our time. … But it’s part of the game — it’s the healthy balance that you’ve got to fight through.”
Chiles discussed being ordered to return the Olympic bronze medal she won in the floor exercise after a series of appeals and controversy. She also shared her current mindset regarding the situation.
“It was something that I had to just push through and see where it would go,” Chiles told Time. “I’m in college now, and I have the ability to perform my life away at UCLA. People are always coming to me and just being like, ‘You’re always going to be loved.’ So I’m now just able to take what I have, let everybody do the outside work, and just push myself forward.”
Wilson and Chiles also spoke about the inclusivity in their respective sports and the progress they’ve seen since they started competing.
“The diversity in our sport has obviously changed a lot. Knowing there weren’t a lot of women of color when I was younger, and knowing that I can help that — and I’ve been helping that — is really cool,” Chiles said.
The two, who became friends leading up to the Olympics, according to Time, closed by discussing their plans to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Chiles said, “Mine’s not a yes, and mine’s not a no.”
Wilson responded, “Mine is a better — you better. … She’s [Chiles] going to be there, too. See us in L.A.”
