The Las Vegas Aces are on track to repeat as champions, but quite a few things could derail them. In fact, between a longer schedule, flaws in their roster, and much more, a second title is not guaranteed. The team will need to overcome these five problems if they want to hoist that coveted second title.
#5 Turning the ball over too much
Turnovers have been a problem for the Las Vegas Aces so far this season, and it could come back to bite them. Not only does this create fewer shot opportunities, but it could also go a long way in forcing more mistakes. Creating more turnovers could also lead to more fastbreak points and leave the Aces unable to stop the shot in time. That’s how important turnovers are, and the Aces definitely need to work on preventing them.
#4 Conditioning issues and injuries
So many outside factors can ruin a championship run, and injuries are definitely one of them. Another big one is conditioning, which influences how a team finishes a game. This is especially true in 2023, where the league has a longer regular season, plus the playoffs. The Aces have done great at conditioning this season, but will that continue?
Unfortunately, injuries or fatigue could become a major factor in whether Las Vegas wins another title. Now the Aces haven’t suffered a major injury in over a year, but accidents can
#3 Questionable depth
One of Las Vegas’s bigger issues this season is the depth of their roster. While the team should be fine if all the players stay healthy, an injury could derail them. Usually, a team has a number of backups for cases like this, but the Aces don’t have anyone that can step up, at least not in the same way that Liz Cambage, Dearica Hamby, and others did in the past.
Their bench consists of Cayla George, Sydney Colson, Kiersten Bell, and Alysha Clark. All four average below ten points a game and don’t make many other contributions. This is exactly why a starter going down is an extremely dangerous situation. Clark remains the best option of the group.
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#2 Trouble with other teams
The Las Vegas Aces look like an almost unbeatable team. But some of their closest games came against the worst-performing teams in the WNBA. Teams that should have been no problem became a last-minute battle to secure victory.
This includes close games against the Dream, the Fever, and a six-point win against the Suns. Two of these teams didn’t even start the season with a winning record. The last one is easily the most damning due to the playoff implications.
#1 Other WNBA teams figuring out how to exploit weaknesses
While The Las Vegas Aces might be running the table, that can always change. In fact, teams are deep diving into the Aces’ strategies and picking apart any weaknesses.
For example, Las Vegas is only posting slightly better numbers than others when it comes to 3-point percentages, turnovers, and blocks. Any one of these variables could easily haunt them if they aren’t careful. The most concerning of these is, of course, the turnovers, which could change the track of a game in an instant.
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