The Las Vegas Aces are putting the rest of the WNBA on notice with their win streak

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3 days ago

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon didn't say much to her team after its 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx in early August. Having been run off the floor by the Lynx in the second-biggest defeat in WNBA history, Hammon knew she had few positives to relay. 'And my mom told me,' Hammon said, 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all.'
Instead, Hammon immersed herself in game film. As she stewed over the historic drubbing, she ran through scenarios, trying to figure out what changes to make. She pondered which buttons to push and when. In a season in which players and coaches have routinely complained about the league schedule, Hammon was grateful Las Vegas played the Golden State Valkyries the day after the loss. She was adamant there was no better way to cleanse her palate than to take the floor the following night.
At least for now, the Aces can point to the Minnesota loss as an inflection point. Las Vegas has won five consecutive games since the blowout, with its victory over the New York Liberty on Wednesday marking the franchise's first regular-season win over New York in nearly two years. The Aces have climbed to fifth in the standings. They sit just 2 1/2 games behind the No. 2-seeded Atlanta Dream. For as inconsistent as they have been — and their season has been plenty uneven — the Aces appear to be finding their stride. 'We're constantly getting better,' guard Jewell Loyd said. 'We know we're not done evolving as a team.'
They've spent much of the season searching for answers. Now, after a string of successes, the question is whether what they've found is sustainable.
Perhaps the Aces' past success set unattainable standards. In the fall of 2023, Las Vegas won its second consecutive WNBA championship, becoming the first team in two decades to repeat. The Aces slipped to fourth in last year's standings and were ousted in the second round of the 2024 playoffs. This year, with a reworked roster and subpar defense, they entered the All-Star break without a winning record for the first time since star forward A'ja Wilson's rookie season in 2018.
The comparisons to past triumphs are natural. Wilson, a three-time MVP, is still arguably the WNBA's best player. Jackie Young, an Olympian and four-time All-Star, is a perennial All-WNBA candidate. Though Chelsea Gray's WNBA production has slipped this summer, she starred at Unrivaled against the sport's elite.
But much has changed around them. Loyd, a six-time All-Star with the Seattle Storm, was one of six newcomers on their opening-night roster. Hammon's two top assistants left for head coach opportunities in the offseason. 'The expectation people have on us, I don't think we'll ever match them. I think we are brewing a whole different team,' Wilson said. 'But are we capable of winning a lot of games and championships? Absolutely. We have more than enough in our locker room to execute.'
Those inside the organization point to the changes as part of why the group struggled to click throughout the first half. Too often, Hammon said, she felt her team was focused on running plays and not playing freely. 'We've had to do so much teaching, and I think some of that teaching kind of bogged down that energy a little bit and made it slower at times,' she said.
Since Aug. 3, the Aces have the league's best offensive rating. And Loyd looks more at ease. She moved to the bench beginning July 27, appearing to find comfort with the second unit. Although she's averaging nearly five fewer minutes, Loyd's scoring has increased from 10.4 points per game as a starter to 15.5 as a reserve, with her field-goal percentage jumping from 36.3 percent to 47.1.
The Aces have also committed to punishing opponents on the offensive glass. Since their Minnesota loss, they have a 41.3 percent offensive rebound rate, best in the league. Against New York on Wednesday, the Aces had eight offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone, with Wilson finishing the win with 17 points and 16 boards.
Amid the team's struggles, Wilson has still been a dominating presence. Last weekend, she became the first player in WNBA history to score at least 30 points and record at least 20 rebounds in a game. She means more to her team than anyone else in the league, as her plus-27.3 net rating on/off split is the most of any player who has played more than 200 minutes with their current franchise. 'I'm really hoping to make it easier on her,' Hammon said.
Even with Wilson's production, the swings of the season have pushed her as a leader. She has found herself being more vocal. During a timeout in an early-season game against the Washington Mystics, Wilson took the seat typically reserved for Hammon and implored her teammates to look themselves in the mirror and play with greater self-belief. '(Wilson) is the best leader I've ever played with,' guard Dana Evans said. 'She knows what each and every one of us can bring, and she just makes sure to stay on us.'
Said Hammon: 'She always walks the walk. This year, she's had to do more talk.'
Still, motivational pep talks haven't erased duds. In her previous seven seasons, Wilson lost only five games by 25 or more points. That has happened four times this year alone. Hammon has reflected on their inconsistent effort.
'I like self-starters,' she said. 'I want you to come with your engine revved. I want the gas pedal. Let me pump the brakes.'
Too often, Las Vegas has looked like it is running on empty.
'We did everything at a grade F,' Hammon said after the Lynx loss. 'You can't put things in if you can't get the basics right. We haven't been able to get the basics right in some of these games.'
Throughout the trial and error of the season, Hammon has tinkered with her starting lineup more than ever before. In the 2023 championship season, the Aces used only three starting groups. This year, they've tried seven combinations. Center Kiah Stokes opened the first 17 games, but Stokes, Wilson, Gray, Loyd and Young recorded a minus-1.7 net rating at the time of the change.
Tiffany Mitchell and Elizabeth Kitley had spot starts before getting waived. Seldom-used reserve Kierstan Bell has started seven of Las Vegas' last eight games, with Evans sliding into the first five against New York for matchup reasons.
Forward NaLyssa Smith has been a critical midseason addition, joining the Aces in a June trade from the Dallas Wings. The lineup with Smith, alongside Las Vegas' four All-Stars, has recorded a plus-17 net rating. Smith has often been in the Aces' closing group in recent games of consequence. Her fit has helped make up for the institutional knowledge lost when Kelsey Plum, Sydney Colson, Tiffany Hayes and Alysha Clark moved to different teams.
In a season of change, the Aces are no longer being chased. Instead, they are chasing. With a win Friday against the No. 4 Mercury, they would move into a tie with Phoenix in the league standings.
Maybe afterward, then, Hammon will have more nice things to say.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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