A’ja still that girl

The Las Vegas Aces have caught fire, stacking seven straight wins and looking every bit like the WNBA’s second-best team behind Minnesota. After New York claimed the 2024 title, Las Vegas spent the early season recalibrating; now they’re surging, defending with purpose, and moving the ball with the tempo and precision that defined their 2022–23 championship runs.

A’ja Wilson is the engine and the exclamation point—reminding everyone she’s still the best player in the world. She’s dictating games on both ends, closing quarters, and warping defensive schemes before the ball even finds her hands. Even with Wilson at that level, Napheesa Collier’s sustained brilliance keeps her as the overwhelming MVP favorite; the race says as much about Collier’s season as it does about Wilson’s standard.

What turns the Aces from dangerous to daunting is the backcourt’s snap back to form. Chelsea Gray has rediscovered her cadence, running late-clock actions and pocket-pass reads like the league’s premier point guard. Jewell Loyd’s buy-in off the bench gives Vegas a microwave scorer and another closer in staggered units, while Jackie Young continues to be excellent—and chronically underrated—bridging lineups with efficient offense and sturdy perimeter defense. NaLyssa Smith is filling gaps as a physical rebounder and timely secondary scorer, giving the Aces extra possessions and put-back punch.

The Lynx remain rightful favorites, but nobody wants a playoff date with Las Vegas. With Wilson at full roar, Gray steering, Loyd changing pace, Young knitting everything together, and Smith supplying the muscle, the Aces have re-found their bite. They’re not the champs of 2024—New York owns that—but they’re playing like the team most likely to crash Minnesota’s coronation.