One star must step up to save the Aces’ season and it’s not A’ja Wilson

It has been a turbulent season for the Las Vegas Aces. A defeat to the Washington Mystics saw the Aces fall to a poor 7-8 record. Despite having the reigning WNBA Most Valuable Player on the roster, the Nevada-based franchise has struggled to establish consistency in its performances and is currently on the brink of dropping out of the playoff picture.

Wilson continues to record incredible numbers in 2025, averaging 21.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 2.6 blocks per game. These Statistics cement the theory that the 28-year-old superstar is burdened with an abundance of responsibility and needs support on both ends of the floor if the Aces are going to prevent another year being labelled as a disaster.

The Las Vegas front office did attempt to reshape the roster in the offseason and create a more balanced squad, which would allow the franchise to regain the ruthless aura that propelled head coach Becky Hammon to back-to-back WNBA Championships with the latter coming in 2023. However, one acquisition has not turned the tide for the Aces like many experts presumed it would.

Jewell Loyd is struggling to replicate the impact she had with the Storm

In a three-team trade that saw the sensational Kelsey Plum shipped to the LA Sparks from the Aces and Li Yueru moved from the Sparks to the Seattle Storm, Jewell Loyd found a new home in Las Vegas to join Hammon and Wilson as they looked to reinvigorate the stuttering franchise.

After 10 glorious years with the Storm, a period of adjustment would be expected from the six-time All-Star. Yet, it the Aces who are suffering the ramifications of the trade so far. Loyd’s move has not been a total disaster so far, as the star has recorded a reasonable 11.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. Nevertheless, analyzing these numbers further highlights the troubles that the two-time WNBA champion is facing.

Despite only playing 14 games in 2025, this is the lowest scoring season that Loyd has registered since her rookie campaign in 2015, a year in which the star averaged 10.7 points per game while shooting 41.1% from the floor. This has proved to be a serious headache for the Aces’ head coach as she must replace the scoring void that former scoring sensation Kelsey Plum has left behind. The LA Sparks’ newest guard had registered 17.8 points per game in her final year in Las Vegas.

It has been clear from the outset that Loyd is struggling to adapt to a game plan where she is currently perceived as the third option on offense, sitting behind Wilson and Jackie Young. The dynamics of the roster are limiting the 31-year-old’s effectiveness on the floor and will need addressing before this campaign spirals out of control.

If a star such as Loyd has created such an incredible legacy with one franchise and then is traded after 10 years of service, time to adapt should be granted before criticism becomes too heavy. However, the Las Vegas Aces are not a team that will settle for mediocrity; something will have to change quickly before the postseason commences.