What had started as a Utah franchise, and had a long run in San Antonio, became the team that brought the WNBA to Las Vegas as the Aces for the 2018 season. They had the first selection in that April draft and selected South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson, a 6-4 center, strong and agile, and the nucleus for a powerhouse was created.
The Aces won a playoff series in 2019, reached the finals during the pandemic in 2020, went 24-8 in 2021, won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 and lost in the semifinals to New York last fall.
Based on the regular season, Wilson was a unanimous selection as the MVP, winning the award for the third time. The decisively beaten MVP runner-up was Napheesa Collier, the 6-foot-3 star of the Minnesota Lynx.
Collier had to settle for winning Defensive Player of Year, and going to the final seconds of a decisive Game 5 before losing to the Liberty.
The Lynx came flying from the gate this season and took a 21-4 record into Friday night’s home sellout vs. the Aces. Las Vegas came with a flop of a 12-12 record and rumors of an ill-fitting lineup.
It became more than a rumor in the second quarter, as Wilson was left to try to force her way through Collier and the rest of a mobile and frequently fierce defense. The Aces treated loose balls and the offensive boards as mysterious objects.
Collier hit a three late in the first half, the sellout crowd erupted and the Lynx headed off the floor with a 51-35 lead. The final was 109-78, and Collier had 25 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes — another outstanding effort that only increased her standing as now a sizable favorite to put the MVP trophy at the front of her hoops hardware.
Coach Cheryl Reeve was asked before the game how it was the Lynx had an 0-10 record against the Aces recently and now they were on a 4-0 run. A coach rarely has been asked an easier question.