Las Vegas Aces offseason outlook: How can A’ja Wilson and Becky Hammon build on third title in four years?

The Las Vegas Aces are once again WNBA champions. That statement would have sounded very reasonable back in May, prior to the 2025 season, but absurd in early August when the Aces were stuck in eighth place and had just been dismantled by 53 points by the Minnesota Lynx. 

That embarrassing defeat — the second-largest in WNBA history — proved to be the catalyst for the most remarkable late-season turnaround the league has ever seen. The Aces won their final 16 games of the regular season to finish 30-14 and earn the No. 2 seed in the playoffs via a tiebreaker over the Atlanta Dream. Their 16-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest in WNBA history. 

Despite the Aces’ success down the stretch, the playoffs were not a walk in the park. They blew Game 2 of their first-round series with the Seattle Storm, and were behind in Game 3 at home as the clock ticked under 20 seconds. Only Jackie Young’s late putback and a missed jumper from Skylar Diggins on the other end prevented a first-round exit. 

The Aces appeared to catch a major break when the Indiana Fever upset the Dream in the first round, and they were major favorites against the shorthanded Fever in their semifinal series. However, on the day that A’ja Wilson was presented her record fourth MVP trophy, the Aces were stunned at home in Game 1. They bounced back to win Games 2 and 3 handily, but dropped Game 4 on the road, which set up a deciding Game 5 back in Las Vegas. The Aces were expected to cruise, especially after Kelsey Mitchell left the game in the third quarter, but they ended up needing overtime to advance to the Finals. 

The Aces’ inconsistent play in the first two rounds created some doubts heading into the Finals, and they nearly lost Game 1 at home again, but escaped when Alyssa Thomas missed two late free throws. They dominated Game 2, and were in full control of Game 3 through the first three quarters, but coughed up a 17-point lead in the fourth. Wilson saved the day, however, with a last-second jumper to give them a 3-0 lead. In Game 4, they were cruising again until the Mercury embarked on another comeback attempt. This time, the Aces stemmed the tide earlier and did not need any late heroics to complete the sweep. 

By defeating the Mercury, and winning their third title in the last four years, the Aces officially became a WNBA dynasty. This was not their best team or most impressive run, but they came up with the plays they needed in every single big moment, which is the true mark of a championship team. 

“Obviously we want to win more, we want to hang more banners, but I think this year let us know that … no journey’s the same, but you can still get the same result if you buy in,” Wilson said during her exit interview. “You saw that in us this year more than ever. We were questioning if we were gonna make the playoffs. I’ve never in my mind, in this time under Becky Hammon, have I ever been like, ‘OK, if we make the playoffs we can be in good shape.’ And that was me this year. I was like, ‘if we can just make the playoffs, we’re good.’ I think our next level is understanding that, yes, they’re gonna look different, but you can get the same results if you just really buy in and put your mind to it.”

Next season, the Aces will have a chance to hang another banner and become the first team in league history to have two separate repeats. But first, Wilson, Hammon and the Aces’ front office will have to navigate the most consequential offseason in league history. 

Season at a glance

Record: 30-14 (No. 2 seed)Offensive rating: 105.9 (4th)Defensive rating: 101.9 (8th)Net rating: plus-3.9 (5th)

Biggest strength

Having A’ja Wilson

Wilson, who won her fourth MVP and third Defensive Player of the Year award this season, is the best player in the world and a game-changer on both sides of the ball for the Aces. Here mere presence is Las Vegas’ biggest advantage. As we saw in the Finals, when Wilson averaged 28.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks and hit the game-winner in Game 3, opponents often have no answer for her.

Biggest weakness

Depth

The Aces’ decision to shift Jewell Loyd to a reserve role boosted many of their official “bench” stats, because she still played starter-level minutes. However, they once again had real depth issues all season long. Wilson and Young scored 45.2% of their points in the regular season and 53.3% of their points in the playoffs. Come playoff time, Hammon really only trusted six players. While they were still able to win the title anyway, that’s an area they’ll have to address in the offseason. 

Key free agents

This will be the most unique free agency period (and offseason) in WNBA history. Only two players not on rookie scale deals — Kalani Brown and Lexie Brown — are under contract for 2026. Every other veteran maneuvered to become a free agent this winter with an eye on a massive pay raise whenever the new collective bargaining agreement is ratified. 

The Aces, who have relied more heavily on veterans than most teams, are nearly a blank slate for 2026. The only player under contract is 2025 second-round Aaliyah Nye, and her deal is non-guaranteed. She showed some nice flashes as a rookie, so the Aces will almost certainly keep her, but if they wanted to, they could completely clear the books this winter. 

Wilson will, of course, be the team’s main priority, but that should be a fairly straightforward negotiation. The Aces will obviously want to re-sign her and she has made it clear time and again that she wants to retire with the organization. 

“I don’t want to,” Wilson said in February, when asked if she would ever play for another WNBA team. “That’s more of a front-office question, but Vegas will forever be my home. I was their first draft pick ever of the franchise, so they really brought me in. And the things that we’ve done — straight out the gate, we set the standard for the league to follow, and we put a lot of other franchises in the league on their heels. If I could retire an Ace, I would love to. I don’t see myself putting on any different jersey.”

Likewise, it’s very difficult to imagine Young and Gray moving elsewhere. Neither they nor the team would have any reason to break up their partnership. Loyd had a frustrating season overall, but was awesome in the Finals. The team will likely want to bring her back, but she’s not going to be their highest earner like she was this season. 

As for some of their bench pieces, it’s easy to see Evans and Smith returning. Evans shot the lights out in the playoffs and Smith played a major role in their midseason turnaround. Plus, they gave up a 2027 first-round pick for Smith, so they are going to let her walk this winter. 

It would not be a surprise to see some significant turnover with the rest of the roster. Depth has been a major issue for the Aces in recent years, and this is their first chance to really reset. Relying on Wilson and Young as much as they did this season is unsustainable, especially with Gray and Loyd (assuming they stay) getting older. 

Until the new CBA is in place and we know the rules for free agency, as well as key numbers such as the 2026 salary cap and the new maximum, minimum and rookie salaries, it’s too difficult to predict exactly what the Aces will do to fill out their roster, but they should be an attractive free agent destination coming off yet another title. 

Draft outlook

The Aces sent their 2026 first-round pick to the Seattle Storm as part of the three-team deal that sent Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks and brought back Loyd. As a result, their only selections this year are their second- and third-round picks at Nos. 29 and 44. 

While the Aces will still do their due diligence, late second- and third-round picks rarely even make rosters, let alone become contributors, especially on contenders. This year’s draft will pretty much be a write-off for the Aces, at least in terms of 2026 impact. With their late picks, they could look at some draft-and-stash options to potentially boost their talent pool down the line.