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The Las Vegas Aces are not even red hot, they are blue-hot. Yes, I made this up. Also, yes, blue is the hottest color of fire, and the Aces are it. Forget all that science, though. The Las Vegas Aces are genuinely WNBA contenders right now. The season is a long grind, and one aspect can never tell the whole story, but recency bias is a thing. If any aspect is crucial, it is the stretch going into the playoffs. The Aces have five games left in their season and they are currently now the 3 seed.
11-Game Win Streak
For context, the WNBA season is 44 games long. The NBA season is 82 games. That would make an 11 game win streak comparable to a near 21 game win streak in the NBA. Proportionately, it is 41 games in the MLB, just 4 in the NFL, and 10 in the English Premier League. My goal here is to emphasize how good this win streak has been for the Las Vegas Aces.
In this stretch, the Aces have beaten the: #2 Dream, #4 Mercury (Twice), #5 Liberty. The wins have not come all against shy opponents. The true test will be on September 4th when the Aces host the Minnesota Lynx. They reign supreme at the WNBA’s best team right now at a 30-7 record. The Lynx were the last loss the Aces had when the final score was 111-58.
A’ja Wilson Is Dominant
It is clear that the Aces are riding momentum. Even if their win streak ends prior to the playoffs, they will be riding a wave if they lose any less than two games. This is all mostly thanks to A’ja Wilson and her MVP level of basketball being played right now.
In this 11 game win streak, A’ja Wilson has scored 30+ points five times. She has also marked up 29-point and 27-point games. On the boards, has had double digit rebounds if 8 of 11 games, and three times that was 16+ boards. Six times, she shot 50% or better (WNBA average is about 44%).
The odds vary by sportsbook, but A’ja Wilson has risen from +2500 to a +460 second choice to win league MVP. It seems that Napheesa Collier is back healthy as she stretches her lead back out, but if the Aces finish the season in 16 consecutive wins, it will be difficult to look away from A’ja Wilson as the MVP of the league. Regardless, her season is not forgotten.
What the Aces Must Do to Win the WNBA Championship
There is no doubt that the Aces can ride their momentum to a WNBA title. The Aces are about +600 to win it all — very doable. The will still have to play standout basketball into the fall to beat the Lynx, Liberty in a playoff series.
Key #1 — A’ja Wilson must be the best player in the WNBA.
To maintain the offensive firepower necessary, A’ja Wilson must continue to rack up 30 point games. The Lynx and Liberty play very efficient basketball and as the Aces lineup is not too deep, their top players must show out.
Key #2 — Supporting cast must thrive
A’ja Wilson can carry this team a great deal, but she still cannot do it alone. Jackie Young is having a great year — 16.5 PPG, 4.7 APG. Jewell Loyd has 11.0 PPG and does Chelsea Gray with the same clip, plus 5.3 APG. These players must play consistent good basketball. Good for them, Becky Hammon is the head coach. She is of the most demanding, experienced coaches that will be leading this team.
Key #3 – Defense Wins Championships
Despite such a great run of basketball, defense has not been the strong suit for the Aces. In this 11 game stretch, the Aces have only allowed less than 75 points of four occassions. Once was to the 9-28 Chicago Sky and another was to the 19-18 Golden State Valkyries. If the Aces want to win a full series against the Lynx or Liberty, they must tighten up on defense. I fear this may be their limitation to getting the job done.
