Welcome to Nice Talk, hosted by Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Nikki Ogunike. Each week, Nikki sits down with a fascinating group of women - entertainers, entrepreneurs, creators, athletes, and changemakers - to discuss money, power, and style. For too long, “well-mannered” women have been discouraged from talking about these topics. Style should be effortless, and conversations about money and power are not “appropriate,” “ladylike,” or “nice.” However, Nikki's definition of “nice talk” is one where all parties walk away feeling empowered; Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

A'ja Wilson and her fellow WNBA teammates have long spoken out about the gender pay gap in professional basketball, and she believes it is time for allies to stand up for them.

The Team USA and Las Vegas Aces player, in the latest episode of Marie Claire's “Nice Talk” podcast, she advocates for women on the court, saying the issue of the wage gap between men and women in the sport is how important it is for others in positions of power to points out and shares how she thinks it can be addressed.

“I can yell out, ‘I want you to put money in my bank account.’” Wilson says. 'That's where I lean. It's about getting people in those spaces to understand, 'No, this is something you really want to invest in.'”

The star athlete explains in Nice Talk that she believes it is essential that individual athletes and allies who can represent their teams “appreciate” them and fight for fair deals and partnership opportunities. She explains. “I think the most important thing is to always show up, be present, and tell people, 'That's why we want you to invest in us.' Because, 'Do I want to invest in this?' and to really understand, because I feel like sometimes people actually look at the product.”

Wilson added, “I may not be in that seat, but you are.

So far, the Olympian has partnered with several brands, including Nike, which named her one of the brand's signature athletes and she has launched a collection. A black woman sat here and said, “These are my shoes. A black woman sat here and said, “These are my shoes. I don't take [moments like this] for granted."

The Las Vegas Aces player said the fight for pay equity is not easy, but emphasized that it is vital to the future of the WNBA. People may not want to hear it and may think, “This is different.” It's important to plant the seeds, not just for now, but for the long term, so the next generation can flourish,” Wilson says. [Change doesn't happen overnight. 'We're just now starting to see the tremendous growth of the WNBA. So we understand that if we can plant the seeds with our allies, sooner or later we will be able to reap the benefits.”

“I think the tide is starting to turn a little bit because people are starting to invest and people are starting to see, ‘Oh no, these girls can do it on and off the court,’” Wilson adds.

The basketball star, who will soon be playing in this summer's Olympics, opens up further about her adjustment to becoming a celebrity athlete over the past few years, her hesitancy to set high goals, and more on this week's episode of Nice Talk. This podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts.