The Las Vegas Aces' season and historic quest for a three-peat came to an end on Sunday with a Game 4 loss to the New York Liberty in the semifinals. After a poor start, the Aces regrouped and put up a fight, but ultimately ran out of gas in a fitting end to a disappointing summer. Late in October, general manager Natalie Williams paid the price for that failure when the team announced it was restructuring the front office and would not renew her contract.
Just as training camp started, so did the Aces' problems. Candace Parker announced her sudden retirement, and the team had no way to replace her. Chelsea Gray, meanwhile, was not cleared to return from the foot injury she suffered in the 2023 Finals. The Aces went 6-6 over the first month, losing as many games as they did in the entire 2023 regular season.
Once Gray returned and they convinced Tiffany Hayes to come out of retirement, they started to look more like their old selves. They went 21-7 the rest of the way to earn the No. 4 seed, thanks largely to A'ja Wilson, who earned her third MVP in unanimous fashion with the greatest individual campaign the league has ever seen.
But while they were winning games down the stretch, some issues remained: uncharacteristic defensive lapses, a lack of depth and inconsistent play from Wilson's co-stars. All of them reared their head against the Liberty. Notably, in the Game 4 defeat, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray combined for 28 points on 9 of 34 shooting.
Now, for the first time since the 2021 season, the Aces will go into the winter looking to regroup rather than celebrating a championship.
"We have to get better," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "We have to really take a sharp look at ourselves, look ourselves in the mirror, see our shortcomings, and then make the moves necessary, whatever that means, to put the best product that we possibly can. It's not going to be the same group probably next year, it just won't. And I'm sad about that because I really liked that group. They're a pain in my ass, but I was a pain in their ass too. But I liked that group. I loved that group."
Season at a glance
- Record: 27-13 (No. 4 seed)
- Offensive rating: 106.1 (second)
- Defensive rating: 99.6 (fifth)
- Net rating: plus-6.5 (fourth)
Biggest strength
Having A'ja Wilson
Wilson has long been one of the best players in the league, and already had two MVP and two Defensive Player of the Year awards to her name coming into this season. This summer, though, she took her game to a new level. Between retirements, injuries and inconsistent play from the supporting cast, the Aces relied on Wilson more than ever. She put the team on her back and dragged them to the No. 4 seed. Along the way, she became the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a season, set the single-season scoring average record (26.9), broke the single-season rebounding mark and became the first player to lead the league in total points, rebounds and blocks.
Biggest weakness
Lack of depth
Many of the Aces' weaknesses this season stemmed from their lack of depth. While they've always been a top-heavy team during this run, that issue was exacerbated this season by Parker's last-second retirement, Gray's injury and a continued inability to find any help through the draft.
In the past, they've at least had enough reliable figures around to keep their core four fresh and allow them to be at their best when they were on the court. That wasn't the case this season. It also didn't help that they sent six players, including their top-five scorers, to the Olympics, which added more miles to their legs while the majority of the league got a long break.
There was an extremely heavy burden placed on Wilson, Plum and Young, who all saw their minutes and usage increase. Wilson (34.4) and Plum (34) were both in the top-five in minutes per game, while Young (32.6) was 12th. No other team had three players in the top-15 in that category. During the regular season, that trio accounted for 66% of the team's points.
Plum and Young, in particular, seemed to be worn down by the extra workload, and it led to inconsistent play on both ends. And while Gray got better as the season went along, she wasn't always her usual steady self. If any of those three didn't have it, there was no one for Hammon to turn to besides Hayes, who was already playing 20-plus minutes a night regardless.
Key free agents
- Alysha Clark
- Tiffany Hayes
- Kelsey Plum
Unlike the rest of the Aces' core, Plum did not sign an extension with the club in recent years, and will hit unrestricted free agency this winter. She will have plenty of suitors around the league, and the Aces' first order of business will be figuring out how to proceed with her.
If she wants to return to the only franchise she has ever played for, it shouldn't be too hard to get a deal done. Considering that many players are intending to be free agents in 2026 in the event that there's a new collective bargaining agreement for that season, there's a good chance a new deal for Plum would be just one year. The regular max for 2025 is $214,466, while the supermax is $249,244. In the past, players have shown a willingness to take a little less to keep this Aces team together. Would Plum be willing to do the same?
On the other hand, Plum's decision not to sign an extension could be a sign that she wants out. The Aces can't let her walk for nothing, so in that case they would almost certainly use the core designation to gain exclusive negotiating rights and demand a big return via a sign-and-trade deal with another club.
As for Clark and Hayes, they are in a similar boat as aging veterans, the latter of which has already retired once. They've both proven they can still contribute, but will either return to the league next season? And if they do want to play, would they take a discount to return to the Aces? If they would sign for the veteran minimum, it would be a no-brainer for the Aces to bring them back. Any more than that, and the Aces' limited cap space, which they need to use wisely in order to improve the team's depth, would quickly dry up.
New front office approach
On Oct. 26, the Aces announced that the organization was restructuring the front office and would not renew the contract of general manager Natalie Williams.
"We are incredibly grateful for Natalie's invaluable efforts in helping build the Aces into the premier franchise in the WNBA," president Nikki Fargas stated in a press release. "Her time with the organization extends back to the league's formative years in Utah, and she will forever be a part of our history, having left an indelible mark as both a player and an executive. We wish the best for Natalie and her family."
Williams was hired in April 2022, and oversaw back-to-back championships. However, the core of those teams was already in place by the time she arrived. And while she made some big signings, including Candace Parker, Alysha Clark and Tiffany Hayes, Williams also faced regular criticism over the team's lack of depth during her' tenure.
Furthermore, the Aces were steeped in turmoil over their handling of the Dearica Hamby situation and circumvention of salary cap rules. Aces coach Becky Hammon was suspended for the first two games of the 2023 season for violating the league's respect in the workplace policies and the team had their 2025 first-round pick stripped by the league after an investigation found that they broke rules regarding impermissible player benefits.
All told, it's unsurprising that the Aces' ownership group has decided to go in a different direction ahead of an important winter in which Kelsey Plum is an unrestricted free agent, along with Clark and Hayes. The Aces have an elite core, but in order to win a third title next season they'll need a better supporting cast around them.
Free agency paths
The Aces have $587,925 in cap space this winter, but that does not include potential deals for Plum, Clark and Hayes, nor other free agents such as Sydney Colson and Queen Egbo.
In a world in which Plum comes back at the supermax ($249,244), they would have $338,681 remaining to fill four more spots (or three, if they only want to carry 11 players). That's not a ton of money, but it is enough to give them some options to improve the roster, especially if veterans are willing to take a paycut for a chance to contend.
Path One: Big game hunting
If the Aces want to add another All-Star caliber player to the mix, they could almost get to a max salary slot. They could give someone $206,523, which is about $8,000 less than a max, and still have room to sign two younger players to a minimum deal ($66,079).
Could they convince Elena Delle Donne to return to the game? That one might be complicated if the Washington Mystics decide to use the core designation on Delle Donne again, but she would be a perfect fit. Satou Sabally and Nneka Ogwumike would be other pipe dreams, but it's hard to see either taking a one-year discount. Natasha Howard, Brionna Jones and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus are other bigs that make sense and might change teams.
Given the Aces' depth issues, this strategy makes more sense if they're able to get a Delle Donne or Ogwumike type player. If not, they are probably better off building out the roster.
Path Two: Four veteran minimums
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Aces could prioritize filling out the roster with a number of role players. With their remaining cap space, they have enough money to sign four players to veteran minimum ($81,196) deals.
That could include Clark and Hayes, if the latter is willing to play again. Other unrestricted free agents who might be willing to play for a minimum include Tina Charles, Mercedes Russell, Isabelle Harrison, Myisha Hines-Allen, Monique Billings, Kia Nurse, Tiffany Mitchell and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. There are also restricted free agents on the board, but it's hard to imagine the Aces being able to add one on a minimum deal.
Adding any combination of four players from that group, or others not listed, would give them much more depth than they had last season.
Path Three: Splitting the difference
Of course, the Aces could split the difference and look to add a mix of veterans and perhaps a borderline All-Star that wouldn't command a max deal.
For example, lets say they bring back Clark and Hayes on veteran minimum deals. That would leave them with $176,289. While that wouldn't be anywhere close to a max, it might be enough to convince someone like Gabby Williams (assuming ends up playing in the WNBA in 2025) or a coveted restricted free agent such as Dijonai Carrington.
Or, if there aren't four players they're interested in that are willing to play for a veteran minimum, they could split the $338,681 three ways, whether that's three players at around $112,000 each, or one on a veteran minimum and two at around $128,000.
Draft outlook
The Aces had their 2025 first-round pick rescinded after a league investigation found the organization violated rules regarding impermissible player benefits. That would be a big loss in any year, but particularly this one as they would have had a top-10 pick and desperately need to find cheap depth.
They do have a second-round pick via the Washington Mystics and their own second, as well as their own third-round pick, but those selections are Nos. 16, 22 and 35, respectively. While not impossible, it's very rare to find a player who can immediately produce at that point, especially for a contending team. As a result, we can essentially write the draft off as a meaningful aspect of the Aces' offseason.
It is worth noting here that one of their second-round picks last season, Elizabeth Kitley, missed the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL. She should be ready for the 2025 campaign and could be considered an extra draft pick this year.