On Aug 2, 2025, the Minnesota Lynx took their league-best document to Las Vegas and trounced the Aces in each sense of the phrase.
The 111-58 blowout loss appeared like not solely the top of Las Vegas’ WNBA season, however of the strongest run of type over the past six seasons of another franchise.
Because the WNBA playoffs decide up, Las Vegas has not solely rebounded from a gradual begin, however they’re enjoying like a workforce destined for its third title in 4 seasons.
The Aces entered the postseason on a 16-game profitable streak that started after that one-sided matchup towards the Lynx to begin August.
In that run of type, the second longest streak in WNBA league historical past, Las Vegas beat six of the opposite seven playoff groups, together with a 10-point win towards Minnesota on Sept. 4 with Napheesa Collier again within the lineup after happening injured towards Vegas in August.
On Sunday, Las Vegas started one other playoff run by displaying the league its full capabilities in a 102-77 lopsided blowout victory of their very own, the primary win of 9 the Aces want to select up one other WNBA Championship.
A’ja Wilson, who has performed like she is on her approach to a fourth WNBA MVP award, continues to cleared the path.
Wilson was a pressure on either side of the ball this season, main the league in factors, free throws, rebounds, factors per recreation, rebounds per recreation and blocks per recreation.
In win shares, an estimate of what number of wins a participant contributes to on each offense and protection, Wilson leads the league on either side of the ball with 6.2 wins on offense and three.3 on protection and the hole between first and second is wider than anybody else within the prime 10.
In the course of the 16-game profitable streak, Wilson averaged 26.1 factors and 12 rebounds per recreation, above her already league-leading 23.4 factors and 10.2 rebounds per recreation averages, each of that are above what might be her Corridor of Fame profession averages.
How impactful is Wilson? In a number of away arenas throughout the streak to finish the season, opposing followers chanted “MVP” for the Aces star.
Wilson additionally confirmed after their Sunday victory that the profitable streak isn’t a distraction for the workforce,
“You guys have a good time this greater than we do,” Wilson stated. “The streak stopped within the common season.”
It’s not solely a lone celebrity or the appropriate mindset that provides Las Vegas an edge over different groups within the playoffs.
What makes Las Vegas so harmful is a gaggle of playmakers that turned the Aces into one of many deepest groups within the league.
Jackie Younger grew to become the youngest and quickest participant to hit 3,000 factors, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds in a profession and sits behind Wilson as Vegas’ second-best playmaker at 16.5 factors and 5.1 assists per recreation.
Solely Chelsea Grey has extra assists on the Aces at 5.4 and when Grey isn’t discovering teammates with pinpoint and sometimes circus-like passes, she is the glue at level guard holding Las Vegas’ assault collectively.
The three-time WNBA champion entered this yr’s playoffs averaging seven assists within the 16-game profitable streak, practically doubling her season excessive.
Then there are new arrivals like Jewell Loyd and NaLyssa Smith.
Loyd got here to Las Vegas from Seattle and after hiccups to begin her season, moved to the bench and have become a dependable scorer off the bench and enters recreation two of the playoffs on a three-game streak scoring in double-digits.
The Dallas Wings traded Smith to Vegas on the commerce deadline to not a lot fanfare, however Smith earned a spot within the beginning lineup and might rating each within the paint and developed robust taking pictures from deep, taking pictures 37.5 % from past the arc as a 6-foot-4 huge.
Championship expertise is one other key benefit for the Aces ought to they meet the Lynx within the WNBA Finals, as a result of Las Vegas has it in droves with the trio of Wilson, Younger and Grey all profitable a number of titles with the franchise over the past 4 seasons.
Minnesota is proficient, has an MVP candidate in Collier and a powerful lineup that includes three all-stars, however no starter has a WNBA championship.
Las Vegas has been there earlier than and have the strongest probability of being there once more, and this time they’ll win the entire thing.
