Products You May Like
In our free agency preview we asked, how much better can the Las Vegas Aces get?
We have our answer now—and it’s a scary one for the league. The best have gotten better. If they can manage minutes, personalities and playing time, they may have assembled the best WNBA team of all time.
The first order of business was deciding which of their free agents to bring back. The Aces re-signed Kiah Stokes, Sydney Colson and Candace Parker.
Parker is the biggest player the Aces could’ve brought back. She started the first 18 games of the 2023 season, averaging 9.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals. Unfortunately, a foot injury caused her to miss the rest of the season, but now she’s back and will provide much-needed reinforcement for the Aces in frontcourt.
Stokes will be joining Parker in the frontcourt in 2024. Last season, she averaged 4.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists. Those numbers may not jump out, but she was integral in the Aces’ playoff run, starting every game in the postseason before an injury sidelined her for Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. Colson is considered one the faces of the league and, while her impact on the floor may be minimal, her impact on the team is crucial to winning basketball. By bringing back this trio, the Aces maintained cohesion and camaraderie, keeping intact the core that made this team special.
“We are excited to have the face of the league, Sydney Colson, back in our Aces camp. There is only light and laughter when she is around. Sydney practices and competes with intensity every day, she is a true pro. We look forward to having her leadership and fun back in camp.” —…
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) February 1, 2024
But wait, there’s more!
The Aces also brought in additional reinforcements, signing Megan Gustafson to a standard contract and Morgan Jones, Kamaria McDaniel and Bria Hartley to training camp deals. From this quartet, Gustafson is the biggest acquisition. She averaged 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 15 minutes per game for the Mercury in 2023. Those numbers were career highs for Gustafson, who could contribute meaningful minutes as a versatile, off-the-bench big.
You know the rest of the roster. They have the Point Gawd, Chelsea Gray. The two-time MVP (and author) A’ja Wilson. The bucket-getter Jackie Young. And the Plum Dawg. No team is as stacked as this one, and they will be the title favorites again in 2024.
But can they get it done? Can they deal with potential injuries, handle the WNBA summer grind and still have that hunger for more, all while teams like the Liberty, Storm and Sun are waiting to take them down?
If they can, they’ll officially be a dynasty—by any and all definitions.