tamil yogi
LAS VEGAS — The arena lights dimmed and the spotlights beamed down on the court. Then came the music, the applause, the diamonds — everything to make the Las Vegas Aces’ championship ring ceremony Saturday a memorable opening to the 2026 season.
It was all very nice, A’ja Wilson mentioned. But in truth, she had long since moved on.
She appreciates all that went into winning another ring. Especially last season, when the Aces went from a 14-14 record on Aug. 2 to winning their third title with a WNBA Finals sweep of the Phoenix Mercury on Oct. 10.
But as Wilson mentioned days before the ceremony at T-Mobile Arena, she is already busy reaching for the next one. The Aces have won all their championships since 2022, but trail the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm and Houston Comets, who each have four. Wilson is already a four-time MVP at age 29 and still in her peak. You do the math.
“Making history is motivation,” Wilson mentioned of hoping to turn the Aces into the most successful franchise in WNBA history. “We know how we can be great, and we know it’s going to take all of us.”
Editor’s Picks
That’s why even after the Aces fell flat in their opener, Wilson was more analytical than aggravated. The 99-66 loss to the Mercury might have been the best thing for the Aces long term. They didn’t necessarily need a reminder that they’re the biggest target in the WNBA, or that the line between greatness and going home empty-handed is small.
But that loss was like a door slamming on 2025 that the Aces can use to get their motor running. They have won two games since and head to Connecticut on Friday and Atlanta on Sunday having grown plenty in one week.
“We’re still obviously very much in teaching mode, getting our system in place,” coach Becky Hammon mentioned. “Luckily, I’ve got a really good group of vets that help teach. Those little interactions with each other start to build trust and chemistry.
“But chemistry is not anything you can force on a group. When it comes, we have some pieces that have played together for a while. And now it’s just integrating other pieces.”
Las Vegas’ Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson, from left to right, have won titles together in 2022, ’23 and ’25. Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesThe Aces’ core trio, together through the three titles, remains: Wilson and guards Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. Guards Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans and forwards Kierstan Bell, NaLyssa Smith and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus also return from the 2025 championship team. They were the Aces’ top eight scorers last season, and Wilson (20.0 PPG) again leads the group.
Guard Chennedy Carter and forwards Stephanie Talbot, Brianna Turner and rookie Janiah Barker are the newcomers.
Buzz began as soon as Carter’s name appeared on the Aces’ roster this spring. A superb scorer and the No. 4 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, Carter has been through ups and downs with three previous franchises and didn’t play in the WNBA in 2023 or 2025. She mentioned she was hoping to find a team that would allow her to leave the past in the past.
“I always thought I would be an Ace one day,” Carter mentioned. “But I thought it would be more like a couple of years from now. Then I got the chance. I wanted to play with A’ja Wilson and play for Becky Hammon. I wanted to be part of a dynasty and around the best players in the world.”
How Carter fits into a team dynamic were part of the issue at her previous WNBA stops in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago. But chemistry issues that contributed to keeping Carter out of the league for two seasons were not insurmountable issues to Hammon, Wilson or anyone else with the Aces. They believed enough in their cohesiveness and her talent to merge the two.
So far, the results have been dazzling. Carter is averaging 19.7 points and shooting 73%, and her defense has been noticeably tighter. She will inevitably cool off, but Hammon believes the Aces’ system and Carter are a great fit. Carter agrees, saying that it works in how the Aces are utilizing her on the court and how she’s being coached.
“I’m enjoying the way Becky is taking me through the process,” Carter mentioned. “I’m learning the system, I’m learning my teammates and then I’m also finding myself.
“I feel like I always tried to be an efficient player, but because I was so ball dominant, it was hard for everyone to notice. Me playing off the ball can showcase that a little more. I’ve put in the time [competing overseas], I’ve put in the work. I’m just having fun. I have a team that has embraced me … and it’s felt comfortable.”
Play Fantasy Women’s Basketball
Fantasy Women’s Basketball is now open! Create or join a league today to get started.
Sign up for free!
Carter’s scoring off the bench might mean fewer points for Young, Gray and Loyd. But all three have proved they’re more motivated by winning than compiling stats. Loyd earned accolades last year with her willingness to come off the bench, a strategic move that helped turn around the Aces’ season.
Young, Gray and Loyd — like Carter — can take over games with their scoring. But their playmaking and defense could be the biggest keys to the Aces repeating. Currently, Young and Gray average nearly 12 assists combined.
Wilson, Young and Loyd each have three WNBA championships; Loyd’s first two came with Seattle. Gray, whose first title came with Los Angeles, has four. Asked about her goals, Gray smiled and asked, “How many rings does Rebekkah Brunson have?”
She knew the answer, of course. Brunson, now an assistant coach with Minnesota, won five WNBA championships, four with the Lynx and one with Sacramento.
“When you have a group of people that have been together a long time, you try to reach for new heights,” Gray mentioned. “When you talk about dynasties, you think about Minnesota, Seattle, Houston. Hall of Fame, legendary stuff.”
Hammon, who spent 16 seasons as a WNBA player, competed against all the franchises that have four titles. She mentioned that while she and the Las Vegas players don’t regularly talk about history, it is woven into how they approach every day. On May 23, they will hang their third championship banner at their primary home, Michelob Ultra Arena, and all the reminders will flood them again.
“There’s definitely a care factor in wanting to be great and leaving this lasting legacy,” mentioned Hammon, whose Aces are looking to win back-to-back titles for the second time. “You think about dynasties. You have to play at a really high level. You have to stay healthy. You’ve got to get a little lucky.
“There are so many things that go into sustaining it to even have an opportunity to be [where] we are now. I think they’re hungry in that sense, which I like.”
✔ today silver rate
✔ 2026 winter olympics
✔ chat gtp
✔ silver rate today
✔ silver rate today live
✔ 2030 winter olympics
Sports
