What You Need To Know About the Las Vegas Aces' 2022 Season

#5 The Las Vegas Aces have an impressive WNBA playoff history

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD_soLgQkTw

The Las Vegas Aces have only been in existence for four years now, but they've already amassed an incredible playoff record.  The team made the postseason in three of their first four seasons. Las Vegas has also made it to the Conference Finals three straight times and made it all the way to the WBNA Finals in 2020.

Fast forward to 2021 and the Aces once again ran the board during the regular season. This earned them a first-round bye in the playoffs, but it didn t help them at all. They ended up losing a competitive series against The Phoenix Mercury, who bested them in five games..

#4 The Las Vegas Aces lost to the Minnesota Lynx during the preseason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YunmdH_l6c

While  WNBA  preseason games aren t always the best indicator of the regular season, they sometimes give a glimpse of things that could become a problem if not fixed. Unfortunately for the Las Vegas Aces, they blew a 13-point lead in the final quarter of the game and lost to the Minnesota Lynx 89-86. The Aces were also outscored by 16 points in the final quarter, leading to questions about the strength of the team s defense.

Again, it s just a preseason game, but it wasn t a great start for what is supposed to be one of the best teams in the league.

Looking into the stats further and you see that it all really came down to rebounds. Now, the Aces managed 20 defensive rebounds and two offensive rebounds, but the Lynx doubled those numbers. The Lynx also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, which completely eclipsed what the Aces were able to do. That means defense is going to be the thing to watch going forward and could be what ultimately keeps them from a championship.

#3 The Las Vegas Aces are playing without Liz Cambage and Angel McCoughtry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxDyDVQe1JA

The players a WNBA team loses are as important as the ones gained, and the Las Vegas Aces have dropped a few notable members during the offseason. The first is center Liz Cambage, who departed for the Los Angeles Sparks at the end of the 2021 season and was an anchor of the Ace's defense. She also played a pivotal role on the offense, averaging over 10 points per game.

The Aces also lost Angel McCoughtry, who didn t accomplish much for the team last year but was one of their best shooters in previous years. That leaves Las Vegas without a key offensive piece.

#2 The Las Vegas Aces waive several WNBA Draft picks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX-x1lwAnhw

The 2022 WNBA draft was a chance for all 12 teams to start building the future of their respective franchises, but many hopefuls didn t make the cut. For example, the Las Vegas Aces decided to waive Faustine Aifuwa, Mya Hollingshed, and Khayla Pointer after drafting them only two short weeks ago. Other players who were released include Destiny Slocum, Nancy Mulkey, Victoria Macaulay, and Kalani Brown.

Las Vegas seems to be struggling to fill the center position for the starting roster. One example of this is Victoria Macaulay, who was signed and waived by the team in a matter of days. Another example, is Kalani Brown, another player who was highly touted by the Aces at first. Only to be waived after about a month. What exactly the team is looking for at this position remains to be seen, but they only have a short time to find it.

#1 Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon is the first female head coach in WNBA history

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IxzescFEBk

There s something special about being a barrier breaker. Becky Hammon became the first female head coach in WNBA history after joining the Las Vegas Aces. Team owner Mark Davis even offered her a $1 million contract! Hammon could be the game-changer the Aces need right now.

"I'm putting in a whole new system," Hammon said days before her team s tipoff against Phoenix Mercury. "Both offensively and defensively, I've just been trying to focus on the fundamentals, and to build a really great base... I feel good about the start that we've had."