J ordan Chiles clocked A’ja Wilson right away when they were thrown together for a Nike event in the run-up to the Paris Olympics. The gymnast was raised in a family of basketball fans—she was named after Michael Jordan—and had watched the WNBA star for years. The two athletes became fast friends. “We were vibing out,” Chiles says.

Wilson was chosen alongside Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles to reflect the strengths and achievements of women's sports in the last year.