AP
Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart (30) gets between Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and forward Cierra Burdick (11) during the second half of Game 3 of basketball’s WNBA Finals Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Thursday, May 20, 2021 | 2 a.m.
The Las Vegas Aces have their eyes set on a WNBA championship, but winning it all is never easy. Here are five things that could stand in the way of Las Vegas’ title quest.
Stormy forecast
The Aces’ No. 1 hurdle in 2021 could prove to be their top hurdle from 2020: the Seattle Storm. When the two teams met in the WNBA Finals in the bubble, the Storm emerged victorious, and it wasn’t particularly close. Seattle swept the series, 3-0, and Las Vegas was beaten by double figures in all three contests, including a 33-point blowout in the clinching game.
The Aces’ biggest problem was that they had absolutely no answer for Seattle forward Breanna Stewart, who averaged 28.3 points in the series on 62.7% shooting. Seattle lost three starters to free agency in the offseason but still has Stewart, who scored 28 points in the Storm’s 97-83 win over Las Vegas in the two teams’ season opener on May 15. If they meet again in the playoffs, will the Aces have a better plan for defending Stewart?
Heralded homecoming
After spending the first 13 years of her professional career with Los Angeles—where she won a championship (2016), two MVP awards (2008, 2013) and a Defensive Player of the Year award (2020)—league icon Candace Parker is heading home. Parker signed with the Chicago Sky as a free agent to vault them into contender status and erect another potential roadblock for the Aces.
The Sky has a good team around Parker, with Courtney Vandersloot running the point and Kahleah Copper and Diamond DeShields providing reinforcements on the perimeter. It’s a deep team, and with Parker now providing some star power, Chicago could present a formidable
challenge for Las Vegas.
3-point arms race
The Aces have plenty of capable long-distance shooters—that’s not an issue. It’s a matter of opportunity. Las Vegas runs a post-heavy offensive scheme that earmarks a majority of shots for A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage, which leads to the team mostly shooting 2-pointers. Last year, the Aces finished dead last in 3-point attempts at just 11.5 per game; the next-lowest team attempted 16.9 per game. The league leader launched 27.6.
So while the Aces were the fourth-best shooting team in terms of accuracy (36.6%), they didn’t reap the full benefits due to a scarcity of attempts.
Will they be able to keep up with some of the league’s more modern offenses in 2021? Wilson and Cambage are certainly equipped to wreak havoc on the interior, but basic math still dictates that three points are greater than two.
Injury situation
The Aces are excited to get point guard Kelsey Plum back this season after she missed the entire 2020 campaign due to an Achilles tear. But an Achilles is one of the most difficult injuries from which to return, so it’s no guarantee Plum will be back to her old self right out of the gate.
Slowing Plum back into her role might have been easier to do before the Aces suffered a potentially disastrous blow in their final preseason scrimmage. Angel McCoughtry landed awkwardly after grabbing a rebound and suffered a knee injury that will keep her out for the entire season.
With Plum working her way back and McCoughtry lost, the Aces are among the most injury-affected teams coming into the season. It will be necessary to monitor the situation as the season progresses.
McVengeance
The Minnesota Lynx lost in the WNBA semifinals to Seattle last year but put up a slightly better fight than Las Vegas managed. They’ve now added to their roster with a familiar face: former Las Vegas All-Star Kayla McBride.
McBride was a warrior for the Aces (12.5 points, 2.4 assists in 2020), and Minnesota will benefit greatly from her toughness and shot-making ability. If Las Vegas matches up with the Lynx in the playoffs, McBride is capable of making the Aces regret letting her get away.
This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.
