The Las Vegas Aces look far from a contender at the halfway mark of the season. What's going on? Has the team's title window closed?
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon publicly delivered a wake-up call to her team following the Aces' 27-point loss to the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever earlier this month, a game where the Aces scored a season-low 54-points while shooting 26.2% from the field.
"It's one of the worst games I've ever seen," Hammon vented during a news conference after the Aces' loss on July 3 in Indianapolis. "That's a complete lack of professionalism to come here with that effort. ... It is the worst offensive night I've ever seen (since) I've been here in the last four years."
This isn't the first time Hammon has questioned the Aces' intangibles this season, including her team's energy and mental toughness. Following a blowout loss to the Golden State Valkyries on June 7, Hammon went as far as saying the Aces have a "heart condition" as Las Vegas (10-11) got off to its worst start since 2018.
Simply put, the Aces — who won back-to-back titles during Hammon's first two seasons in 2022 and '23 — are not close to championship contention at that halfway mark of the season. The Aces currently rank at the bottom of the league in a variety of categories including ninth in points per game (80.2) and defensive rating (102.9), 10th in rebounds per game (32.9) and 11th in field-goal percentage (41.3%). Additionally, they are second to last in the league in assists (16.9), points in the paint (31.0) and field goals made (27.3) and last in fast break points (8.1).
"That’s not an Aces team we are used to seeing. We are trying to figure it out," veteran guard Chelsea Graysaid. "It's uncharted territory right now. We really haven’t ... played like this since we’ve all been together under Becky."
What's going on with the Aces? Is it effort, as Hammon has publicly pointed out? Is it a larger roster construction issue? Or has the team's championship window officially closed?
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How did we get here?
The Aces have experienced the highest of the highs since Hammon took over as head coach in December 2021. Las Vegas bulldozed the league in Hammon's first two seasons, finishing with a 60-16 record while winning, back-to-back titles. A'ja Wilson also took home league MVP in 2022. But as parity continues to grow across the league and competitors close the gap, the Aces' advantage seems to have narrowed. Last season, the Aces' bid to win three consecutive titles ended with a semifinal loss to the eventual champion, New York Liberty.
Hammon attributed the loss to the team's lack of focus and mental fatigue after winning two titles — "We haven't had the edge all year... the feel was different from the jump," she said at the time — a point that appears to have carried over to the 2025 WNBA season.
To be fair, the Aces have undergone major changes on all levels in the offseason. Las Vegas restructured its front office and opted not the bring back general manager Natalie Williams, a position that remains open. Assistant coaches Natalie Nakase and Tyler Marsh also left the organization to take head coaching vacancies in Golden State and Chicago, respectively.
Injuries add up
Although the Aces have "pretty much a whole new group," Hammon said, one constant has remained in three-time WNBA MVP Wilson. Although her field-goal percentage has slightly dipped from 51.8% to 47.1% this season, Wilson is averaging 21.5 points per game, the second highest in the league behind Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier. She also ranks first in blocks (2.4) and third in rebounds (9.1). Wilson has always carried a huge load for the Aces, with the third highest usage rating in the league (30.2%) this season, but she has been limited by a string of injuries.
"It's been tough for me this year, because this is probably the most I’ve ever been hurt throughout my whole career," Wilson said on July 12, her first game back from wrist injury. She also missed three game earlier in the season in concussion protocol. "It's been a very new space for me. ... It is very hard for me to sit out games."
Hammon said Wilson has earned the time to take care of herself, acknowledging "A’ja’s basically gave us three MVP years (in 2020, 2022, 2024) and was healthy... I’m OK with her taking a second to reset and get her body right. I don’t want her to rush back at all." Wilson's absence, however, magnifies the Aces' lack of depth and production outside Wilson, who picked up her seventh All-Star nod and will starting for Team Clark in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Jewell Loyd trade hasn't panned out
Kelsey Plum's era with the Aces also came to an end in the offseason. Las Vegas acquired Jewell Loyd from the Seattle Storm in a three-time trade that sent Plum, the team's second-leading scorer last season, to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Aces hoped the addition of an explosive guard would maximize the team's championship window and help lighten Wilson's load, but Loyd hasn't unlocked her full potential in Las Vegas.
The six-time All-Star is averaging 11 points per game this season, marking her lowest output since her rookie campaign in 2015. Loyd said her struggles to get going hasn't been a confidence issue, but noted her frustration.
"I just get annoyed missing shots because I know I want to help my team," Loyd said. "You want to see the ball go into the basket. My preparation has been the same. My teammates still believe in me. My coach, fans, everyone is encouraging me all the way through. We just want to stack games together."
Meanwhile, Plum is averaging 20.1 points per game for the Sparks, the third-highest point total in the league, leading many fans to question if the Aces got the better end of the trade.
Lack of depth
Loyd's struggles coupled with injuries and depth issues has not bode well for Las Vegas. The Aces average 18 bench points per game, a slight uptick from last season (15), but still rank among the bottom in the league. The Aces cannot rely entirely on its starting lineup to win games — we saw how that ended last year. The problem is the Aces lost a lot of their depth in the offseason, including Tiffany Hayes, the 2024 Sixth Player of the Year.
Kate Martin was left unprotected in the expansion draft and was picked up by the Valkyries. Hayes signed with the Valkyries in free agency, Sydney Colson joined the Indiana Fever and Alysha Clark returned to the Seattle Storm, where she spent the first nine seasons of her career.
The Aces picked up Tiffany Mitchell and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus in free agency, traded for Dana Evans and drafted Aaliyah Nye with the No. 13 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft to bolster its roster. Parker-Tyus, however, has not played for the Aces this season while on maternity leave. The Aces waived Mitchell on June 30. Evans and Nye are averaging a combined 11.5 points off the bench, which isn't nearly what the Aces need.
On June 30, the Aces made a move to acquire NaLyssa Smith from the Wings in exchange for a 2027 first round pick. Smith slid into the starting lineup and is averaging 6.5 points through five contests (four starts).
What's next for the Aces?
It's too early to call the season a wash, but the Aces find themselves on the outside looking in for the first time since 2018. As of Tuesday, the Aces (10-11) are in ninth place in the WNBA standings, eight games behind the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.
"It’s about winning games in September," Hammon said. "We just want to keep building habits, but as long as I can see us making progress and having belief in each other. This is a process … that why you play 44 games."
The Aces have started to show promise. After dropping three of four games, Las Vegas responded with a hard-fought 104-102 win over the Valkyries. The Aces' bench had 17 points, but Wilson and Jackie Young combined had 64 points in the win.
"Every win is a need for us at this point of the season," Wilson said.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why the Aces risk missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018
Category: Basketball
