As WNBA popularity explodes, don't forget the Las Vegas Aces are setting the standard (2024)

Game 4 of last season’s WNBA Finals was a fitting culmination of the Las Vegas Aces’ title run, a closeout game that demanded contributions from the totality of the roster.

It was also a reminder of how fleeting greatness can be. The Aces, down two starters — with no expectation for their return in a potential do-or-die Game 5 — had just enough to eke out a one-possession win. The jubilation of the result overshadowed how close Las Vegas was to experiencing a different outcome.

As the Aces embark upon the 2024 season in pursuit of a three-peat, it’s important to appreciate their excellence in this moment. They have a target on their back from 11 other franchises, but that’s because Las Vegas is one of the best teams this league has ever seen. Although it seems like the Aces have a long runway of titles in front of them, with three All-WNBA players under age 30, their most recent coronation is a reminder of how precarious success can be.

At this time a year ago, Las Vegas had a starting group of five potential future Hall of Famers. That lineup didn’t even last half the season, and now Candace Parker is retired. Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes couldn’t suit up at the end of the finals, with Gray’s foot injury lingering to the start of the 2024 campaign. Most of the Aces have signed below-market contracts to remain in Las Vegas and remain together, but roster-building might be out of their control with the upcoming expansion draft. The core that exists today could have a chance to compete only in this particular season.

GAME FRAMES 📸#ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/loP3ZGS7NB

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 12, 2024

That’s why the Aces aren’t shying away from the task in front of them. They talk about creating habits and not looking too far ahead, but they’ve also made their ultimate goal very clear from the get-go: to win and join the Houston Comets as the only franchises in league history with three consecutive championships.

“When you come into a season with the Aces uniform on, the standard is going for a championship,” Gray said.

Las Vegas has every reason to believe that goal is attainable. It has the best player in the world, A’ja Wilson, an unstoppable force on both ends of the floor who could become the fourth three-time MVP in league history. Wilson’s impact is so undeniable that even Team USA looked mortal at the 2024 Olympic qualifying tournament without her in the middle.

Wilson relishes that the rest of the league is getting better, using it to motivate her to keep working on her craft; similarly, her thirst for continuous improvement inspires teammates and rivals alike. There’s nothing like watching her simultaneously blow by and power through defenders while taking away their airspace on the other end. She’s a unique talent whose motor is never-ending.

The Aces also have one of the most dynamic point guards in league history, one whose highlight reel defies logic and gravity, and delights fans across sports. Gray brought her championship pedigree to Las Vegas and has continued to rack up hardware. Her motto this season is “trying to chase history and be legendary.”

There’s Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum, the bowling ball and the blur on the perimeter, testing opposing defenses in diametric ways. Stokes controls the glass, Alysha Clark defends everyone, and Sydney Colson is a pest at the point of attack. Whatever style of play you seek as a basketball fan, the Aces provide some of it. Every skill is represented and put on display at the highest possible level under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Becky Hammon, who has done nothing but win since stepping into this role.

Las Vegas is basketball paradise. The Aces play together and for each other, and that commitment to the team concept shines through, no matter what adverse situations they face.

“This year is going to be harder than last year, and last year was hella hard,” Hammon said. “We come in with the pressure and we’ll operate fine under that pressure, but we know what the deal is.”

Only two teams in WNBA history have even had a chance to three-peat in 27 seasons, and not since the inaugural champion Comets won four in a row has a team accomplished that feat. No team in the NBA has even gone back-to-back-to-back since 2002. In North American professional sports, the three-peat has nearly gone extinct during this century, which puts Las Vegas in rarefied air.

BIG A not the little one 😤@_ajawilson22 // #ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/sOpe6FC5QB

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 11, 2024

Whether they’re the hero or the villain, the Aces’ story arc demands attention. They’re chasing history at an individual and team level and forcing the rest of the league to match their standard. Super-teams are popping up across the country in hopes of competing with what Las Vegas has built.

“It’s tons of fun just to stay in the moment and understand what we’re building here,” Wilson said. “The legacy that we are forming here is something that’s so cool to be a part of.”

So take a moment to appreciate what the Aces have created when the season tips off Tuesday. Enjoy the majesty of Wilson, the flair of Gray, the poise of Young, the feistiness of Plum and how they’ve brought out the best in themselves and their opponents. As the WNBA experiences an explosion of popularity, remember they are the standard-bearers, the bar that has been set for the incoming rookies and everyone else.

(Photo of A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Sabreena Merchant is a women's basketball Staff Writer for The Athletic. She previously covered the WNBA and NBA for SB Nation. Sabreena is an alum of Duke University, where she wrote for the independent student newspaper, The Chronicle. She is based in Los Angeles. Follow Sabreena on Twitter @sabreenajm