LAS VEGAS – The vibes are different in the Las Vegas Aces organization this season.
After a loss like the Aces suffered against the New York Liberty in last year’s WNBA semifinals, the morale of the franchise could have gone in one of two directions. They entered the 2024 season as favorites to win a third straight WNBA title and fell well short, even in spite of a historic unanimous MVP season from A’ja Wilson.
Not Just Hungry…Starving
Being knocked off the mountaintop and undergoing extensive offseason change could fracture an organization, but it’s had the opposite effect in Las Vegas. A near-unanimous consensus drawn among members of the Aces was that the way last season ended was almost necessary for them to galvanize and get that championship hunger back.
“I do think we have that hunger back,’ center Kiah Stokes said. “Obviously last season didn’t end how we wanted to. Everyone kind of felt that and realized we all could do more to make this team better. I think that’s been the focus this year. It’s a new roster, a lot of different looks, but I think the players that we brought in really want to be here. They want to work hard and they’re very competitive. I think that’s going to help take us to the next level, or get back to the level we were at, I should say.”
For coach Becky Hammon, hunger is just the baseline. A loss like the Aces suffered in those semifinals showed Hammon exactly the kind of soldier she wants to bring into war with her and she acted on that with her acquisitions this offseason.
“You know, it’s not good enough to be hungry,” Hammon said. “You have to be starving in this league. New York was starving last year. Now, it was us having a long offseason. We had a lot to think about. We had a lot to change. We had a lot of areas we needed to grow in. So, that’s what we did. But to me that the mindset is different.I’m done with the dogs. I want the hungry wolves. Give me the wolves, and I think we got some. We’re building our pack.”
Back(court) at Full Strength
Not only did the Aces make several key offseason moves, most notably trading star Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles in a blockbuster deal that saw them acquire Jewell Loyd from Seattle in a three-way acquisition, they’ll finally have stars Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young at full strength again after injuries took a significant toll on their respective 2024 seasons.
Novice WNBA fans got to see a sample of Gray’s trademark clutch gene during the Unrivaled season, but the “Point Gawd” is ready to prove she’s the best point guard in the WNBA at full strength once again this season.
“Last year, I was barely able to walk,” Gray said “I was still laboring an injury with my foot. Today, I could sprint down the stairs and come back up really quick. I feel good. When you’re talking about professional athletes, your body is your work. My body just wasn’t right last year. I’m in even better shape this year than I was last year, both mentally and physically, but on the physical part, I’m able to go for longer and sustain a level of play for longer. I’m just in a good space right now.”
While Gray entered the 2024 season with her foot injury, Young’s ailment was sustained during her stint with Team USA at the Olympics. Young tried her best to keep her injury under wraps, but reports confirmed that she was dealing with a bad knee that significantly hampered her performance after the break.
“I definitely wasn’t myself for most of the season last year,” Young said. “I think especially after the Olympics, that gold medal game was a game that I was like, ‘Okay, I’m hurt’, but I tried to finish the rest of the season. I think we’re in a good spot now. I took some time off-season to get back right and I think I’m back to that point.”
The Get-Back
Whether she was 100% healthy or not, the way the Aces’ three-peat bid ended still left a sour taste for Young. Getting back to the top of the mountain certainly served as some extra inspiration during her offseason.
“It was super motivating,” Young said. “Everyone came into training camp this season with a winning mindset and mentality. I think you can kind of see that with the joy that we’ve been playing with. We know last season didn’t end the way we wanted it to, so we’re excited for this season. I think it started on day one of training camp.”
