{"id":767072,"date":"2026-05-02T00:49:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T00:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/767072\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T00:49:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T00:49:19","slug":"5-bold-predictions-for-the-las-vegas-aces-2026-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/767072\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Bold Predictions for the Las Vegas Aces\u2019 2026 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Las Vegas Aces<\/a> have built a WNBA<\/a> dynasty, winning three of the past four league championships. Now, with an even bigger target on their back and a chance at a fourth title, the Aces will have to make some adjustments.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve retained their core players, all of whom have played key roles in their success. Four-time WNBA MVP A\u2019ja Wilson re-signed with the team on the largest supermax extension in league history after the recent collective bargaining agreement<\/a>, and the Aces added mercurial guard Chennedy Carter to their training camp roster \u2013 a move that could not only strengthen their backcourt but help revitalize her career.<\/p>\n

The Aces have a lot to look forward to this season. Here are five specific predictions for the 2026 campaign.<\/p>\n

\"Las<\/p>\n

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson operates with the ball as Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner defends during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.Mark J&period; Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Aces Will Win at Least Nine of Their First 10 Games<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get the biggest question out of the way.<\/p>\n

Last season, the Aces opened the season 5-5 through the first 10 games for the second straight year, and they sat below .500 at the All-Star break, mostly due to early adjustments with new additions and roster changes.<\/p>\n

The Aces won\u2019t have the luxury of easing into this season. After a Finals rematch in their home opener against the Phoenix Mercury, the Aces play seven of their next nine games on the road. Their schedule is far from simple, but unlike last year, they shouldn\u2019t need time to figure things out.<\/p>\n

This season, with a more established core and defined roles, those issues shouldn\u2019t carry over.\u00a0Now, the Aces are in position to take a different approach. Instead of playing catch-up, they\u2019ll rely on improved late-game execution to close out tight matchups, turning last season\u2019s close losses into early wins.<\/p>\n

A\u2019ja Wilson\u2019s Scoring Will Dip, but Rebounding, Rim Protection Will Reach New Highs<\/p>\n

Widely regarded as the best player in women\u2019s basketball, A\u2019ja Wilson last season became the first player in WNBA history to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Finals MVP and the scoring title in the same season. But this season, her impact won\u2019t require the same offensive intensity.<\/p>\n

During last year\u2019s slow start, Wilson took accountability by pointing out a lack of leadership as the team\u2019s biggest problem. At the same time, she carried a significant amount of the Aces\u2019 offensive load, averaging 23.4 points per game. With a more established core and improved chemistry, that responsibility can shift to some degree.<\/p>\n

This season, her scoring average could dip slightly due to teammates taking on more offensive responsibility. However, her overall impact will remain impeccable. After leading the league last year with 2.3 blocks per game and averaging 10.2 rebounds, she\u2019s likely to boost those numbers by pushing toward 12 rebounds and three blocks per game. Instead of having to carry the offense, Wilson’s presence will be felt more on the defensive end, specifically in regard to rim protection.<\/p>\n

\"Las<\/p>\n

Las Vegas Aces guard Chennedy Carter soars for a layup during an exhibition game against Team Japan at Michelob Ultra Arena on April 26, 2026.Candice Ward-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Chennedy Carter Will Be Aces’ X-Factor<\/p>\n

The Aces signed Chennedy Carter last month to address a lack of bench depth \u2014 a move that could determine how reliable the back end of their rotation becomes this season.<\/p>\n

Carter played overseas last season, using the time to refocus and refine her game following past controversy<\/a> \u2014 including an infamous hard foul on Caitlin Clark<\/a> \u2014 during her time with the Chicago Sky<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Carter is no stranger to bouncing back. After being waived in 2023, she returned in 2024 with the Sky and enjoyed the best season of her career, averaging a career-high 17.5 points per game. Now, she enters a new opportunity with a champion-caliber team.<\/p>\n

If Carter can play consistently and avoid the distractions that have affected her in the past, she can give the Aces an offensive boost off the bench and add another layer to their scoring attack. But if those concerns resurface, any absence would leave a noticeable gap as the season progresses.<\/p>\n

Kierstan Bell Will Average Double Figures in Scoring<\/p>\n

Kierstan Bell emerged as a starter midway through last season but struggled to find consistency as her minutes varied. Off the court, she grieved the death of a close friend and her father, adding to the challenges she faced throughout the season.<\/p>\n

Despite that, Bell regained her confidence and found her rhythm late in the season, going on to start all 12 playoff games and showing her ability to contribute in high-intensity moments. This season, Bell is positioned to take on an even larger role as she builds on that late-season momentum. With her continued development on the court, she\u2019ll also emerge as a more consistent and reliable presence in the Aces\u2019 rotation.<\/p>\n

\"Las<\/p>\n

Las Vegas Aces forward Kierstan Bell brings the ball upcourt during a game against the Chicago Sky at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 7, 2025.Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Record Prediction: 30-14<\/p>\n

The Aces proved in the past two seasons that they can recover from slow starts. In 2024, they started 5-5 but finished 27-13. Last year, they started 5-7 but finished 30-14. That late surge in ’25 boosted their championship pursuit, but it also pointed out how much ground they had to make up early.<\/p>\n

For better or worse, this team has learned that it doesn’t need to secure the top seed to win the title. It would make sense if the Aces save some of their energy for the postseason instead of chasing regular-season wins. We’re picking another 30-14 result.<\/p>\n

Related: WNBA’s Biggest Stars: Ranking the Most Popular Players in the League<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Related: WNBA vs. NBA: Key Differences, Similarities Between the Leagues<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports<\/a> on May 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA<\/a> section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Las Vegas Aces have built a WNBA dynasty, winning three of the past four league championships. Now,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":767073,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[49],"tags":[2341,233,314769,1497,2340,204415,4144,1502,62,67,132,68,232],"class_list":["post-767072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-aja-wilson","tag-caitlin-clark","tag-chennedy-carter","tag-chicago-sky","tag-dewanna-bonner","tag-kierstan-bell","tag-las-vegas-aces","tag-phoenix-mercury","tag-sports","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us","tag-wnba"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116502237905979386","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=767072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/767073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=767072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=767072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=767072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}