A’Ja Wilson and Disney Dreamers Academy attendees are all smiles before hopping on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disney World. / PHOTO COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY WORLD 
By Bridgette Bartlett Royall ·Updated March 31, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… You can’t be what you can’t see.
Acclaimed children’s rights activist Marian Wright Edelman helped coin this profound mantra and the organizers behind the Disney Dreamers Academy have taken serious heed to it. Now in its 19th year, the Disney Dreamers Academy (DDA) just wrapped up an exciting program at A’ja Wilson. The 29-year-old, Columbia, South Carolina native is a forward-center for the Las Vegas Aces and widely considered the best player in the WNBA. The University of South Carolina graduate was even named TIME’s 2025 Athlete of the Year. Wilson also holds an unprecedented four WNBA MVP awards, three league titles and two Olympic gold medals. In fact, she is the first player, in WNBA or NBA history, to win a championship, claim the scoring title, and be named Finals MVP, league MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. In short, A’ja Wilson is kind of a big deal.
So, imagine the sheer delight of the 100 Dreamers who were privileged to have Wilson join them during their Disney World stay! The excitement was palpable. There were 100 DDA participants, selected from thousands of nationwide applicants. And four of those participants were fortunate enough to hang out with the champion sans crowds and even ride Las Vegas Aces basketball superstar A’ja Wilson poses with high school students Krysten Lewis of West Monroe, La., Domenique Sexton of Chesapeake, Va., Alani Jordan of Laurel, Md., and Shakayah Watson of Snellville, Ga., after experiencing Tiana’s Bayou Adventure together during Disney Dreamers Academy on Friday at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Wilson is one of several celebrities participating in the Disney mentoring program this weekend. (Mark Ashman, photographer)
“This has been a great experience for me. To be able to connect with Dreamers and to also be able to meet my dream princess [Tiana] has been a truly surreal moment. I’m so thankful that Disney has brought us all together from differentsrc="https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/03/0327ZK_1413OK-scaled.jpg" alt="A’ja Wilson On Dyslexia, The MET Gala And Mentoring The Next Generation Of Dreamers" width="400" height="266" />PHOTO COURTESY OF DISNEY DREAMERS ACADEMY
Wilson, who rocked long ombre brown to honey blonde braids, also opened up about her life outside of basketball despite a jam-packed program schedule. The stunning 6’4” player, who is prominently featured in this month’s issue of Vogue magazine, happens to be a proud member of A’Ja Wilson black women in sports Disney Dreamers Academy wnba
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