The Las Vegas Aces are putting the rest of the WNBA on notice with their win streak

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon chose not to address her team after a historic 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx in early August, adhering to her mother's advice about silence when lacking positive words. Instead, she immersed herself in game film to analyze the defeat and plan adjustments. Hammon welcomed the immediate chance to play the Golden State Valkyries the next night as a way to move forward.

That loss to Minnesota has since become a turning point for the Aces. They have won five consecutive games following the blowout, including a significant victory over the New York Liberty that marked their first regular-season win against New York in nearly two years. This streak has propelled them to fifth place in the standings, just 2.5 games behind the second-seeded Atlanta Dream. Despite a season marked by inconsistency, the team feels it is evolving and improving, though the sustainability of this success remains a question.

The Aces' struggles this season stem partly from the high bar set by their back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. After slipping to fourth place last year and an early playoff exit in 2024, they entered the 2024 All-Star break without a winning record for the first time since A'ja Wilson's rookie year. Significant roster changes, including the addition of six newcomers like six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd, and the departure of Hammon's top two assistants for head coaching roles, contributed to the team's difficulty gelling early on. Wilson acknowledges the team is different now but believes they still possess the capability to win games and championships.

Coach Hammon attributed early-season struggles to players focusing too rigidly on running plays rather than playing freely, with excessive teaching sometimes bogging down energy. However, since August 3rd, the Aces boast the league's best offensive rating. Key adjustments include moving Jewell Loyd to the bench, where her scoring average and field goal percentage have significantly increased despite fewer minutes. The team has also committed aggressively to offensive rebounding, achieving a league-best 41.3% offensive rebound rate since the Minnesota loss, exemplified by their strong rebounding performance, including Wilson's 16 boards, in the win over New York.