A’ja Wilson stuns in crochet hockey sweater before Aces preseason win

A’ja Wilson turned her pregame fit into the night’s standout crochet moment, stepping into Michelob ULTRA Arena in a Nike x Cactus Plant Flea Market crochet hockey sweater as the Las Vegas Aces beat the Japan women’s national team 94-78 on April 26, 2026.

The sweater has been identified in retail listings as the Nike x Cactus Plant Flea Market Crochet Hockey Sweater in the Chutney colorway, and it carries the kind of structure crocheters notice immediately. Built to read like a hockey top, it pulls crochet into a sharp sports silhouette instead of a soft layering piece, which is exactly why it stood out in a WNBA tunnel setting. The collection it came from also included hockey-, soccer-, and basketball-influenced pieces, all cut with CPFM’s oversized feel.

Nike has positioned the CPFM apparel line as a remix of archival sports design cues into a surreal, sport-inspired vision, and this sweater fits that brief cleanly. The texture does the heavy lifting, but the garment still lands with the clear shape of a game-day top, making it a useful reference point for anyone who likes crochet projects that look graphic, wearable, and built with a strong outline. It is the sort of piece that can be reinterpreted in team colors, striped panels, or a looser streetwear fit without losing the sports identity.

The fashion moment arrived inside a bigger team statement. The Aces’ official site framed the matchup as the club’s 2026 preseason opener and part of its 30th-season celebration, and the reigning 2025 WNBA champions backed that up with a comfortable win over Japan. ESPN carried highlights, recaps, and play breakdowns from the game, but Wilson’s crochet sweater gave the night an extra layer of visual punch before the ball even tipped.