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The Las Vegas Aces’ collection of star power propelled them to a victory over the Connecticut Sun to clinch the WNBA championship. The 3–1 series victory in the 2020 championship was the first championship won by the Aces, who were stopped by the Seattle Hurricanes two seasons ago and came within a few points of a return to the WNBA championship last season. Short points to Phoenix Mercury. The victory marks the first championship for Las Vegas in major sports history.
The success the Aces have enjoyed in 5 seasons is nothing short of amazing. They made the playoffs every season after the first season. They have finished in first place in the regular season for three consecutive seasons, including this season. The difficulty of that tenure cannot be overstated, and this potential dynasty was made possible by their star players. Aja Wilson has been the number one overall draft pick and top talent in the league since she stepped on the floor out of the University of South Carolina.
Wilson, a perennial MVP candidate, is flanked by three star guards. Kelsey Plum is one of them, a shooter and distributor who has thrived in her new role as a starter this season. In 2019, former self-seeded No. 1 Jackie Young leapt forward with improved performance and is another member of the backcourt. Chelsea Gray seems to be the missing piece of this team’s puzzle. She got off to a slow start this season after being sidelined, but Gray’s impact in the postseason was palpable.
The veteran Gray, who won MVP in the WNBA Finals, is the emotional leader of this team with her fiery style of play. In the finals, she consistently excelled to pair with her stellar defense. Gray has carried the team on her back in these playoffs, and her contributions have been head and shoulders above the competition.
But that doesn’t mean their journey was easy, the competition was fierce this year. The Connecticut Sun have a relatively large lineup, so they have a tough matchup. The unique talents of frontcourt players Alyssa Thomas and Jonkel Jones proved difficult for the ACs, but first-year coach Becky Hammon worked the game plan effectively to highlight the players’ strengths.
Throughout the series, the offense focused on the perimeter and running through Chelsea Gray’s playmaking abilities, setting up teammates for easy layups. Defensively, the Aces dared the Suns to shoot and forced difficult shots for the Suns wingers. The Aces’ lone layup in the series came as Dewanna Bonner and Natisha Hideman led a highly efficient offense for Sunrise that converted 53 percent of its three-point attempts.
Hammon deserves credit for getting so much out of her team because the first-year coach knew exactly how to manage this star-studded team. Each of the trio of guards had their moments throughout the season, with Young, Plum and Gray taking turns being the hero of the day for a team that didn’t really need many saves. They have done wonders for this team to combine their talents with Wilson, and Hammon’s skill at getting the ball out of the paint and adjusting to create Suns from the outside lends itself.
This team is rare in that it has all-stars under contract for next season, so unlike the regular turnover that WNBA teams experience each season, the Aces can have the same team to start next season. When the playoffs return next year, they will be favorites to win again and will undoubtedly start a bona fide dynasty that could make this franchise into the basketball history books.
Image courtesy of Lori Shawl
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