By this point in the season, we tend to have a pretty good idea of where each team ranks in the hierarchy of the WNBA.
There are no surprises. Teams have shown us who they are, and it’s our job to believe them. Every now and then, teams go on a run and shock the league, but those instances are few and far between.
This season, it’s clear who the contenders, dark horses and fringe playoff teams are. While there may be some movement among these ranks between now and September, odds are that whatever tier a team finds themselves in now is where they will be come playoff time.
The Aces, however, want to be the exception to that rule and, if they’re going to make that run to change that narrative, there’s no better time than the present to do so.
Not-So-Golden Mamba
After a disappointing end to the 2024 season, the Aces swung for the fences and shook up the WNBA.
Vegas sent Kelsey Plum to the LA Sparks in a three-team trade that landed them Jewell Loyd. On the surface, this move seemed like one that would, at the very least, help the Aces return to the playoffs and maybe even win their third championship in four years. However, the reality in Vegas has fallen well short of those lofty expectations.
The goal of bringing Jewell Loyd to Vegas was to add another player around A’ja Wilson whose game complements hers to bolster the productivity of this offense.
Even though we’ve seen glimpses of that from Jewell this season, we haven’t seen it consistently enough to be confident in Vegas’ chances at winning that third championship under Becky Hammon. Loyd’s 11 points per game is her lowest per game scoring output since she averaged 10.7 in her rookie season. In fact, she has as many games this season scoring 10 or fewer points as she did in the previous three years of her career COMBINED.
Unfortunately for Vegas, Jewell Loyd isn’t the only guard in their rotation whose productivity needs to improve.
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Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young Figuring It Out
In addition to Jewell Loyd struggling to find her footing in Vegas, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young have also struggled to find consistency.
In 2023, Jackie Young had the best season of her career. She played all 40 games, averaged just shy of 18 points per game, and nearly became the second woman ever to join the 50-40-90 club, shooting 52.3% from the field, 44.9% from deep, and 86.7% from the charity stripe.
In addition to this boost in scoring efficiency, Young cemented herself as one of, if not the very best, two-way players in the WNBA. Since that season, Aces fans have been anxiously awaiting Young’s return to that level of play. Just like with Jewell this season, we’ve seen glimpses of 2023 Jackie Young show up this season. However, the Aces will need that version of Young to show up more often than not if they want to keep their title hopes alive.
https://twitter.com/WomensHoops_USA/status/1928666042437455877
As for Chelsea Gray, it seems as if her role as the “Point Gawd” varies on any given night. There are nights when the offense is firing on all cylinders and Gray can show the world why she’s regarded as the best point guard in the WNBA.
There are also nights when the offense is seemingly on life support and Gray has to be more of a scorer than a facilitator to keep her team afloat. While she’s capable of being either version of herself, or both, on any given night, Vegas would be better off if Gray’s only responsibility every night is to feed the stars around her, play good defense, and only score when she absolutely has to.
What About the Frontcourt?
A lot of attention has shifted to the backcourt trio of Loyd, Young, and Gray because of the support Vegas acquired for A’ja Wilson in the frontcourt.
The Aces and A’ja were in DESPERATE need of frontcourt help this season, and they’ve seemingly found it in NaLyssa Smith.
Smith has been a godsend for the Aces. Her abilities as a rebounder, screen setter, floor spacer, scorer, and defender have been a great help for A’ja Wilson down low. As time progresses, Smith will continue to grow and develop as a post player alongside the three-time MVP, and there’s no telling how much better this duo will be by playoff time.
As for A’ja, we all know that she is STILL the best player in the world, even though many would consider this year a “down year” for the three-time MVP. Her consistency in the post has been a sight for sore eyes in Vegas, and her brief absences due to injury have been felt. As long as she continues to play at an elite level, the Aces will always have a puncher’s chance to win on any given night, no matter the opponent.
Despite that, if the goal is to return to the WNBA Finals, A’ja is going to need her supporting cast to step up.
https://twitter.com/WomensHoops_USA/status/1944164012754641090
Final Thoughts
Hope isn’t lost for the Aces.
They sit in the middle of the WNBA standings right now and may find themselves jockeying for position down the stretch of the season. Assuming they make it to the playoffs, they would be a tough first-round opponent for any of their potential playoff adversaries.
However, the road to the WNBA Finals this season will be tougher than their previous two appearances. A series with the Dream or Storm would be a toss-up, unlikely to go in their favor. Matching up against the Mercury would almost guarantee an early vacation. Knocking off the Lynx or Liberty would be a Sisyphean task.
On paper, the Aces have one of the most talented rosters in the WNBA. At their best, there’s not a team in the postseason the Aces wouldn’t be able to go toe-to-toe with.
Theoretically, a return trip to the WNBA Finals isn’t completely outside the realm of possibility. If there’s a team that can get hot down the stretch of the season, it’s the Aces.
They have all the experience and potential necessary to do so. What they don’t have is the time needed to figure all this out before the postseason starts September 22.
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