Bam Adebayo has helped A'ja Wilson improve

Iron sharpens iron between A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo. Her fourth MVP campaign, the first in WNBA history, has seen Wilson improve on something that will extend her career: her footwork, and she gives props to her boyfriend, the Miami Heat center.

FOUR. EVER. THE. ONE. 👑

A surprise fit for history. A’ja Wilson adds to her legacy in unforgettable fashion.#KiaMVP | #WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/Vf1EkuWH8d
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 21, 2025

During Game 3 of Aces at Indiana against the Fever on Friday, ESPN’s Holly Rowe’s sideline report stated, “She said he has been a huge help to her game. You see her footwork as she’s continuing to improve. She said, ‘I’m better this year because I’ve had a front row seat to one of the best in the game. His footwork is one of the underrated parts of his game,’ and they’ve worked on it together.”

Wilson and Adebayo are two of the top athletes of the WNBA and NBA, and interestingly, both of them are not 3-point threats. They’ll pick opponents to pieces with mid-range jumpers and drive-bys.

As much as Adebayo has had an impact on her, she’ll do the same for him, if she hasn’t already. One of the things he could emulate her more in is punishing mismatches, but she is more of a natural scorer. Perhaps he will take on more of the scoring load as Tyler Herro, the Heat’s All-Star guard, misses time as he recovers from ankle/foot surgery.

The footwork she’s worked on with him has paid off on both sides as she won her third Defensive Player of the Year crown, being a co-winner this season, while snagging an MVP trophy. She’s one of the biggest and strongest players in the league, but there are some who can overpower her. Wilson shows her defensive prowess by guarding a bigger opponent by intelligently, moving her body around and staying vertical.

Notably, the DPOY award has eluded Adebayo, and he wasn’t voted onto either defensive team in 2024-25. He’s 28 years old and in his prime, so he’ll have around a handful more opportunities to finally win it. Yet earning recognition or not has no impact on being a game changer.

Adebayo is like Wilson in the sense that a poor offensive showing doesn't slow him down. He proved this during the start of 2024-25, when his regular shot attempts weren't falling , but he was still anchoring Miami's defense at a high level, before it got point-of-attack help in a later trade.

Perhaps this season with added help in Miami and players who want to be there, Adebayo will finally earn his first DPOY. Even if he doesn't win it, he'll become a better player with extra time in the lab with Wilson.