Aces face critical stretch to keep championship window open amid uneven season

Associated Press

3 days ago

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — From management to coach Becky Hammon to the players, the Las Vegas Aces say they remain a championship team despite what has been, at best, an uneven season.
The Aces must keep their championship window open or major changes could come during what is expected to be a chaotic offseason given the number of pending free agents in Las Vegas and throughout the WNBA.
'I think as we look at big-picture decisions for the Aces, this stretch is very important,' team president Nikki Fargas said. 'It's where championship habits are going to be solidified, and there's a lot of great talent that's going to be available. Are you wanting to be a part of a championship legacy? We've found that that's been a great opportunity for us to talk about that in free agency previously.'
The Aces, who in 2023 became the first WNBA team to repeat in 21 years, have been one of the league's model franchises in recent seasons. They were on the short list of favorites to contend for another championship this season, but are in a fight just to secure a playoff spot.
They are 13-13, which puts them seventh in the standings. The top eight teams qualify for the postseason, and the Aces are for intents and purposes in playoff mode now because the fifth through 10th teams were separated by 3 1/2 games entering Monday.
'We're just trying to string together some wins,' guard Jackie Young said. 'We know every game's important. We're trying to go out there and build off of the past games, learn from our mistakes.'
Falling short of the playoffs or getting bounced early could lead to major offseason changes that could be coming anyway given the number of free agents. Only Aaliyah Nye is under contract beyond this season, according to Spotrac.
That's largely the case around the league as well because the collective bargaining agreement ends after this season. Players timed their contracts to take advantage of what should be a much more lucrative CBA because of an 11-year media rights deal valued at more than $2.2 billion.
'I think next year's free agency is like the wild, wild West,' Hammon said. 'There's going to be people we're obviously trying to keep their services here in Vegas, and then there are others we're going to try to bring some people in. So I just think it's about finishing the season well, keeping our culture and our character intact through the rest of the (18) games so we make this a destination that people want to come and play with and be competitive at.'
Hammon quickly made the point she's not the general manager, and the Aces remain without a GM since Natalie Williams was dismissed in October. The organization chose to not fill that position, with Fargas working with Tonya Holley, vice president of basketball operations, on personnel decisions with input from Hammon.
This is an organization that has built through the draft — A'ja Wilson, Young and former Aces star Kelsey Plum were all No. 1 overall picks — but also hasn't been afraid to be aggressive in free agency or trades.
Point guard Chelsea Gray signed as a free agent in 2021 and a year later was named WNBA Finals MVP when Las Vegas beat Connecticut in four games for its first championship.
The Aces added two-time MVP Candace Parker in 2023, but she played just 18 games before a season-ending foot injury. She retired last year.
They made their most audacious move this January, sending Plum to Los Angeles in a three-team trade that brought Jewell Loyd from Seattle. The move hasn't quite worked out the way the Aces envisioned, with Plum averaging 20.1 points and 5.9 assists while Loyd has scored 10.8 points per game. That's her lowest scoring average since putting up 10.7 as a rookie in 2015.
But perhaps Loyd will more closely resemble the player who was a six-time All-Star with the Storm, who just last season averaged 19.7 points. She came off the bench — at her request — in Sunday's 106-80 victory at Dallas and scored 20 points.
A resurgence by her and the expected addition of Cheyenne Parker-Tyus could be major boosts entering the postseason. Parker-Tyus, who signed as a free agent, is on maternity leave and her Aces debut is yet to be determined.
Fargas said she was bullish on the Aces making another title run, pointing out the number of top players on the roster with championship experience, including Wilson and her three MVP trophies.
'Any time you have the best player in the world on your team, you will always have a shot,' Fargas said.
If the Aces do have another such run in them, they will do so in the unusual role as underdogs. Hammon said she didn't care what those outside of the organization thought of her team.
But Gray wants the target back on the Aces. That would mean they again are playing at a high level.
'You want to be playing your best basketball in September,' Gray said. 'That's what it's all about.'
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