A'ja Wilson's New A'One Nike Hoodie Is My Favorite Lazy-Day Beauty Hack

A'ja Wilson knows a thing or two about establishing herself as one of the greats. She's a six-time WNBA All-Star, three-time MVP, two-time champion, and two-time Olympian, but this is just scratching the surface of her long list of achievements.

In addition to her accolades on the court, the Las Vegas Aces center recently became the 14th WNBA player in history to have her own basketball shoes—and the first Black player to have one since Candace Parker in 2010. Her A'One Collection, in collaboration with Nike, features both footwear and apparel, such as comfort slides, T-shirts, asymmetric basketball leggings, sneakers, and a hoodie.

On May 6, a limited amount of her A'One Pink A'ura shoes sold out in only five minutes. And while fans anticipate a restock, many are also gravitating towards the hoodie, which generated buzz after it was revealed that the hood would be lined with silk, doubling as a bonnet. This also caught my attention, and I wondered if my curls could benefit from having something like that in my wardrobe. Naturally, I let my curiosity get the best of me and decided I wanted to put it to the test.

Read my honest review of the A'One hoodie below.

The Fit and Feel

The first thing I noticed after putting the hoodie on was how well it fit. It's both cropped and oversize, which makes it easy to dress up or down, depending on your style. The inside of the hoodie was made with a sweat-wicking French terry fabric that feels super soft on the skin. Meanwhile, the actual hood is satin-lined to create the bonnet. Upon my initial try-on, I could tell that Nike and Wilson were determined to get this right, which made me even more excited to test it out.

The Test

I decided the best time to wear this hoodie was on one of my busier days, when my hair was most likely going to be put through a lot. Earlier in the day, I decided to go for a run sans hoodie because it was raining. But after getting home, I showered and washed my hair so I could have my curls at their best. I kept my styling process the same as usual, sticking to leave-in conditioner, curl cream, and gel cream (which has a light hold but still provides definition).

While this might not seem like the most obvious first step to testing, I usually nap shortly after a run. This happens after almost every workout for me without fail, and I figured if I were to wear a bonnet going to bed, why not see how it works with the hoodie? At this point, I knew there was a chance I'd wake up to dented curls or some knots since I toss and turn in my sleep. But to my surprise, I woke up 30 minutes later in genuine shock at how well my curls held up.

Once the hoodie passed the unofficial "nap test," I had a feeling it would probably keep my curls in check for the rest of the day. Spoiler: it did. I wore it while I ran the rest of my errands, which required me to trudge through rain and humidity. But by the time I got back home that evening, my curls still looked defined and not nearly as frizzy as they typically would given the weather.

Before

The Results

The humidity and rain forced me to level my expectations, but even so, I felt like my curly hair looked better than usual because of the satin-lined hood. I also expected some shrinkage as my hair dried, as it typically does on the first day of my wash cycle. That said, humidity will sometimes cause shrinkage plus frizz, which can make my hair look a bit messy. So overall, I appreciated that the hood helped me maintain shine and definition all day long.

After

Is the A'ja Wilson Nike Hoodie Worth It?

I'm someone who loves a two-for-one buy, and this hoodie checks off all my boxes. It provides comfort but doesn't compromise on style. Plus, it boosts hair health because of how bonnets reduce friction and promote moisture retention. Whether you're an athlete who wants to keep your hair looking fresh before and after your next big game or a beauty lover who can stand by a high-quality hoodie that won't mess up your day-one wash and go, you can't lose with this collab.