The WNBA’s 2025 MVP A’ja Wilson is definitely somebody special — and it seems like Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo knows all about it.
Wilson and Adebayo have been friendly since at least 2023, when the Heat hooper showed up at a July 2023 WNBA game to watch Wilson alongside the rest of the Las Vegas Aces.
The pair have a lot in common: they’re both Olympians and among the most talented in their field (Wilson was recently crowned the league’s MVP for a historic fourth time). In an April 2025 interview with Cosmo Sports, Wilson explained, “He’s obviously in the same field, so we bounce off different things with one another to where it’s like, no, we’re not alone. He’s helped me through a lot and welcomed me to be who I’m going to be.”
The couple mostly stay out of the spotlight, choosing not to share a lot of their love life on social media, but it’s clear there’s something special between them. Keep scrolling to read more about A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo’s relationship timeline:
2024 Olympic Athletes and Their Famous Partners
2023
Wilson and Adebayo have been orbiting one another since at least July 2023, when Adebayo showed up at a Las Vegas Aces game alongside fellow NBA stars Donovan Mitchell, Grant Williams and Torrey Craig.
August 2024
Adebayo, who was a member of the Men’s Basketball Team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, was courtside as Wilson as the rest of the Women’s Basketball Team took on Team France during the gold medal match. Adebayo was joined by LeBron James and Derek White.
September 2024
Wilson was in attendance when Adebayo and his Heat teammates were honored by the city of Miami on September 5, 2024. Though the two have been chumming at basketball games, this caught the eye of several onlookers — including Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who told reporters, “A’ja Wilson, she won gold in women’s basketball. I guess that has something to do with Bam and the Heat being here today.”
Adebayo also seemed to reference Wilson’s appearance — or at least the online chatter that resulted. He wrote via X, “Getting the 🔑 today was smooth. How’s y’all Wednesday going ? 🙂.”
Later that month, Adebayo again seemingly could not stop himself from celebrating Wilson after she was named the 2024 WNBA MVP. The Heat star shared via social media, “U’nanimous” — an apparent referent to the apostrophe in Wilson’s first name.
Three days later, Adebayo took to X to give the people what they wanted: more “BA’ja” content. “Hope everybody finds A’thousand reasons to smile on this lovely Sunday,” he tweeted alongside a smiley emoji.
January 2025
TMZ published photos of Wilson and Adebayo out for dinner in Los Angeles.
February 2025
In perhaps his most public move yet, Adebayo wore a pair of Wilson’s A’One sneakers during a February 7 game against the Brooklyn Nets — months before the shoes were released in May 2025.
The South Carolina Gamecocks retired Wilson’s jersey at the beginning of February 2025, and Adebayo was courtside for the ceremony alongside former college teammate, the Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray.
Wilson took the opportunity to make her own “if you know, you know” statement about Adebayo and told the crowd, “I wouldn’t be who I am today without the love, support and sacrifices of so many people. What a blessing to have those most special to me courtside today, especially my favorite Olympian from out of town.”
In an interview with People later that month, Wilson noted that Adebayo wearing her sneakers in January was “super dope” and “a moment.” The NBA hooper “really wanted to be at the forefront of pushing my shoes,” she said.
Wilson added: “If I have to put it out in the NBA, why not have someone like Bam Adebayo, who’s just a good person all around, to kind of showcase my shoes, so I was thankful he was able to wear it.”
When asked about her Valentine’s Day plans in the same interview, Wilson, who was attending NBA All-Star in San Francisco during the holiday, clarified: “My plans are here at NBA All-Star. My NBA All-Star is not here.”
April 2025
Wilson finally publicly called Adebayo her boyfriend in an April 2025 cover story for Cosmo Sports. “I have an amazing boyfriend who really is my safe space. He’s truly a gift,” she said. “He’s obviously in the same field, so we bounce off different things with one another to where it’s like, no, we’re not alone. He’s helped me through a lot and welcomed me to be who I’m going to be. I know he’s like, ‘I don’t know what A’ja I’m going to get today, but I’m blessed to be beside her.’”
She continued: “And it’s the same for me. When you can be your true self in front of someone, in front of your partner, that’s the purest form of love. At any point if I ever need a voice to hear or just a hug, he’s always there.”
July 2025
Basketball fans were in stitches after Wilson was photographed wearing a pair of Adebayo’s Miami Heat pants during an Aces practice on July 1.
Wilson and Adebayo attended the WNBA Starry 3-point contest during WNBA All-Star Weekend on July 18, 2025. The pair were photographed and recorded entering the event at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and also sitting courtside.
Adebayo was also photographed with Wilson ahead of the All-Star Game on July 19, 2025.
September 2025
Adebayo was on hand to help celebrate Wilson’s historic fourth WNBA MVP win on September 21. In a video shared via social media by the WNBA, a visibly emotional Wilson grinned as Adebayo wrapped her in a hug and she held her newest trophy.
Dwyane Wade then revealed on an episode of his “Time Out with Dwyane Wade” podcast, that Adebayo didn’t believe he had a shot with Wilson at first.
“I remember I got a chance to sit with Bam at the Olympics,” Wade began, speaking of the 2024 Games in Paris. “We both was there to watch our women’s [team] play. We were just talking about A’ja as a hooper, and Bam cracked me up with — he was just like, ‘Man, my little award case.’ He was like, ‘Bro, I ain’t got a chance. She’s so cold. He was like, her, her awards is just — you know, like one of top high schoolers that win everything? Bro, she’s a winner.”
