Dynasties are defined by dominance.
The Las Vegas Aces have won three of the last four titles and were chasing another in 2026. While Las Vegas flashed brilliance all season, they never felt like the WNBA’s best team. Still, they have championship pedigree and the league’s best player, A’ja Wilson. That makes them a threat until they are eliminated.
The Golden State Valkyries took on that challenge and passed with flying colors, sweeping the Aces and sending them home in the second round.
There won’t
be another back-to-back title in Las Vegas. Instead, they’ll have to have conversations about where they go from here. For top teams, there is nowhere to go but down.
In Las Vegas, the question is how much longer their title window is open. And the answer might not be one they want to hear.
What went right in Las Vegas?
Individual success was bountiful for the Aces.
Wilson was the WNBA MVP, her third in a row and fifth overall. She led the league in scoring, averaging 26.2 points per game, and had a true shooting percentage of 62.5. Wilson was also named a 2026 All-Star, like her teammate Jackie Young.
This was a season of tremendous growth for Young. The guard averaged 18.9 points and 6.8 assists per game, both career-bests for the eight-year player.
As a team, the Aces were still formidable. They had the third-best record in the WNBA and beat a tough Indiana Fever team in the opening round of the postseason. Only because of their ridiculously high standards can this season be viewed in a negative light.
What went wrong in Las Vegas?
Nevertheless, this year was a disappointment.
The Aces didn’t have a defense worthy of a champion, and head coach Becky Hammon said as much after they were eliminated.
The Aces had a defensive rating of 105.9, which was fifth in the WNBA. This was the Aces’ worst defensive rating in the Hammon era. In fact, it was the worst defense in franchise history. Even worse than when they were in San Antonio or in Utah back in the late 1990s and through the 2000s.
The Aces are an older team, and it shows in their speed. Their pace was 96.65, eighth in the league. During the 2020s, the Aces have consistently dipped in pace, and being an older team, they’ve struggled to score on the fastbreak. Las Vegas averaged 9.7 fastbreak points per game.
A slower team with key players in gradual decline is how you end up with a high ceiling but a floor that keeps dropping.
The next generation in the Valkyries and Atlanta Dream don’t have next; they have now. That’s why they’ll be playing the 2026 WNBA Finals, and the Aces will be watching.
What’s next for Las Vegas?
The good news for the Aces is that they’re close to where they need to be.
They have Wilson locked up on a longer-term contract and plenty of open roster spots to fill in 2027.
Priority No. 1 should be retaining Young, who is an unrestricted free agent. After that, the Aces would be wise to bring in defensive-minded wings and bigs to bolster their efforts on that end of the court.
The offseason might be here earlier than Las Vegas expected or desired, but this could be a blessing in disguise. Players will get additional rest time now. The front office can hit the ground running and plan out their free agency.
Relinquishing the crown also takes the target off the Aces’ back. They are no longer the team to beat. With the league looking at a brand-new champion and new standard, this moment out of the spotlight is when Las Vegas can do the work needed to take center stage. again.
The last time Las Vegas exited in the second round was 2024. The following season they won it all. The Aces will look to replicate that.
