It’s a new WNBA season, and while there have been plenty of roster changes via free agency, plus two new expansion teams, one thing has remained the same: The Las Vegas Aces are the team to beat.
They had a slip up on opening day, losing in blowout fashion to the Phoenix Mercury, but it’s been business as usual for the dynasty from Nevada since then. They’ve won four-straight games, all on the road, including a tough contest against the Atlanta Dream.
The Aces being an elite team is no shocker, but
how they are doing it has been a mix of old and now, or expected and unexpected.
The numbers behind the Aces’ success
Where it matters, in the win-loss column, Las Vegas sits at the top of the league. However, it’s in the data that you see why that is.
The WNBA is pushing the pace this season, and Las Vegas is leading the charge. The Aces are second in the WNBA in pace at 100.44. This is a stark contrast to last season, when they were seventh in the league at 94.92. There are plenty of reasons why that could be, but what’s clear is that Las Vegas wants to get out and run to increase their possessions and take advantage of defenses that aren’t yet set.
The Aces have taken 57 shots within the first six seconds of a possession. That’s the most in the WNBA, and they are making 57 percent of those takes.
Not only are the Aces getting shots off at a blistering pace, but they are high-quality looks. Of their 343 shot attempts, 113 are in the restricted area. That’s nearly a third, and on those attempts, they are converting on 73.5 percent of them.
With a team scoring so quickly and efficiently, the only way to try to beat them is by taking advantage of them on the other side of the court.
While offense is a strength of Las Vegas, defense isn’t necessarily a weakness. The Aces have the third-best defense with a defensive rating of 101.4. They lead the league in blocks, averaging 7.6 blocks per game, and they are tied for third in allowing only 14.8 points off of turnovers. So even when an advantage is created, they are good enough to neutralize that opportunity.
Yes, A’ja Wilson is still a goddess
A’ja Wilson isn’t playing basketball against her opponents; she’s playing a game against herself, trying best her own previous efforts.
To start 2026, she isn’t just raising the bar—she’s lifting it out of anyone’s grasp.
Wilson is averaging 25 points, 5.6 rebounds and two blocks per game. She remains a well-balanced player and one who can score in bunches. Against the Sun, Wilson scored 45 points and did so being unbelievably efficient. She went a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point range, made all of her 11 free throws and missed only three of her 18 shot attempts.
How do you stop a player like that? There are long answers that can be provided, but the short one is the truth and a bitter pill to swallow: You can’t.
What makes Wilson so unique offensively is that she isn’t a dominant big who just barrels to the rim and does her work in the paint. Her game is finesse. Sure, she has the power and height to get inside and score over opponents, but it’s her footwork, speed and ability to use all of the angles that physics allows that make her unstoppable.
She thrives off the shots most players would rather not take.
Most of her attempts are from the 3-foot to 10-foot range. She’s taken 25 of those and has made 48 percent. Also, let’s not forget that Wilson is still the co-Defensive Player of the Year, and remains at that level, averaging the second-most steals in the WNBA.
The Aces are a complete team and are where they’re at because of their depth, all-around quality of play, great coaching and an organization run so well that it’s the envy of the league.
Still, without Wilson, none of that would matter. They’d just be one of the good teams instead of the ones to beat. It’s why she’s a future Hall of Famer, the MVP, the best player of this time—and maybe of all time.
Chennedy Carter is an absolute cheat code
The Aces are a dynasty, and aside from Wilson, they have a strong nucleus that keeps everything running smoothly. Chelsea Gray is the Point Gawd and Jackie Young is a perennial All-Star.
While it’s ideal to have veterans staying together to try to run it back and win it all, fresh blood is needed to keep that desire sharp.
Enter Chennedy Carter.
She’s been a WNBA journeywoman playing on four teams over her past five seasons in the league. She is now in Las Vegas, and she isn’t just along for the ride. Carter has been a driving force in many of their early wins.
Carter is averaging a career-high 19.4 points per game. She is coming off the bench, injecting the team with offense. She is wreaking havoc on defenders with her blazing speed. She’s always been an offensive menace, but with Las Vegas having so many ball handlers, she can showcase even more of her off-ball skills.
Carter can get more catch-and-shoot looks, finds herself open weakside and when the pass comes her way, she can finish with authority at the rim.
And on-ball, she remains one of the most electrifying players on the court. Her handles are second to none, and the moment you make a mistake, she makes you play and will blow right past her opponent as if they were never in front of her.
Bringing on a player who has experienced some difficulties in her previous WNBA stops is a risk, but the payoff is obvious. Carter can play with the best of them, and if that remains and the chemistry on and off the court is good all year long, then Carter might give the Aces one too many guards for the rest of the WNBA to handle.
If all goes well, this could not only be the Aces’ fourth title of the 2020s, but it could be Carter’s first, and finally, everyone can see just how great her skills are and how much they can impact winning.
So far, four games in, her impact has been clear, and it’s a big reason why the Aces remain No.1.
