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Everything That Went Wrong for the Las Vegas Aces in 2024

Here is everything that went wrong for the Las Vegas Aces in their quest for a third straight championship.

#5 Candace Parker’s sudden retirement 

Las Vegas Aces

Candace Parker abruptly announced her retirement from the WNBA in April, right before the start of the season. The move came after Parker struggled to deal with a foot injury. 

The Aces essentially lost one of their best players and a key part of their roster depth when Parker retired. The team also had little time to accommodate the sudden roster changes. That made it challenging to find suitable players and forced widescale gameplan changes. The chaos ultimately resulted in a rough start for the Aces while they tried to experiment.

Las Vegas also parted ways with Riquina Williams, Emma Cannon, and Kiersten Bell throughout the 2024 season, weakening the roster even further. 

#4 Roster depth issues

kelsey plum on court with the las vegas aces

Roster depth was a significant problem for the Las Vegas Aces throughout the 2024 season, and it contributed to their missing the three-peat. The Aces started things off promisingly enough with two straight victories, but cracks were already starting to show.

Everything went to hell in the season’s third game when the Aces lost to the Phoenix Mercury 98-88. A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young all struggled to make shots while the bench failed to keep them in the game. This trend continued throughout the entire season.

No matter what the big three did in 2024, the bench was never there to back them up. They had to do it on their own, and it was strenuous. There is only so much Plum, Wilson, and Young can do without help.

#3 Coming into the season as two-time defending champions

Las Vegas Aces, Las Vegas Aces 2023 WNBA title, WNBA champions, Las Vegas Aces 2024,
Source. Bleacher Report

There’s something about coming into the season as two-time WNBA Champions that leaves a target on your back. That’s the difficult lesson the Las Vegas Aces had to learn in 2024, and it wasn’t easy. 

Every team in the WNBA was after them at this point, and the Aces weren’t ready for it all. Another critical factor is that most of the teams in the league have improved immensely, making them more difficult to steamroll. They finished the season with a 26-14 record and a semi-final defeat to the team they beat in last year’s WNBA finals. 

#2 Not containing the New York Liberty’s offense

Las Vegas Aces, WNBA Semi finals 2024, New York Liberty, Sabrina Lonescu, A'ja Wilson,
Source. NBC Sports

The Las Vegas Aces struggled to contain the New York Liberty’s offense all season, which continued in the playoffs. In game one, Liberty superstar Sabrina Lonescu put up 34 points, and teammate Breanna Stewart contributed 24. It suddenly didn’t matter that A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum both knocked in over 20 points.  

The Aces’ championship dreams essentially came down to stopping Lonescu and New York’s thriving offenses. That never happened, no matter what Becky Hammon and the team tried. It’s like New York went to the film room over the summer and lasered in on the Las Vegas Aces.

In game four, Lonsescu scored seven of 14 from the field and five of eight behind the arc for 22 points. Stewart also went off for 19 points, while Jonquel Jones contributed 14. This includes three of five from behind the arc for Jones and one for Stewart. The Las Vegas Aces never stood a chance with that kind of three-point game

#1 Most of the plays went through A’ja Wilson 

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Source. WNBA

The biggest problem with the Las Vegas Aces is that everyone knows the game plan now. Becky Hammon made it clear that A’ja Wilson is her core player, and most games run through her. That plan has become too predictable, and teams neutralized her effectively enough to win games.

Wilson is becoming more guarded and she’s forced into many two-on-one situations. She’s also starting to struggle on defense.

It’s worth noting that Wilson is a restricted free agent with much bargaining power.  The Aces need to keep her and make her a core if they want to improve this offense.

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