Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson didn’t appreciate Rachel Nichols’ line of questioning when the former ESPNer brought up her relationship with Heat forward Bam Adebayo during an interview with Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The “Open Run” personality, who spoke with the reigning NBA MVP at the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas, brought up an apparent meme suggesting that Thunder general manager Sam Presti is so motivated to bring talent to OKC that he would show up to Wilson and Adebayo’s sonogram appointment.

Nichols explained that Wilson recently told Time magazine that she and Adebayo are excited to start a family together one day.
A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces talks with boyfriend Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat prior to the WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest during the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 18, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“Because A’ja was named Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year, and she’s doing a bunch of interviews and talking about her and Bam and their relationship… someone joked that Sam Presti would be at the sonogram if they had kids together. Is he that much of a scout?” Nichols said.

“Sam takes his job very serious, and whatever it takes to be great, he will do,” replied Gilgeous-Alexander, who laughed at the questions.

“So Bam Adebayo, if you ever decide to have kids, Sam Presti’s going to knock on your door,” Nichols joked.

Wilson said she thought it was a strange moment.

“You don’t think this a lil strange orrrr weird..???” the three-time WNBA champ wrote on Threads.

 
Rachel Nichols interviews OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup Semi-Finals in Las Vegas.

“But I guess it’s a slow day in the office.”

Adebayo added, “This is why privacy matters.”

The pair has been dating for about four years, first connecting at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“That is always a dream,” Wilson told Time magazine of starting a family with the Heat star. “This is my life partner. Honestly, what on earth was my world before you? That’s how much he’s impacted my life, my family’s life.”

Nichols has yet to respond as of Monday.

ESPN fired Nichols after she made disparaging “diversity” comments about then-colleague Maria Taylor in leaked audio, which was made public in July 2021.

Taylor left ESPN, where she worked from 2013-2021, and joined NBC Sports that same month.

Nichols joined Fox Sports 1.