A’ja Wilson has become one of the biggest names in the WNBA since she was drafted 1st overall in the 2018 WNBA draft. The 2x champion has been tearing through the league with her basketball abilities and has a long list of accolades to show for it. The 3x MVP, however, failed to reach the finals last season after winning back-to-back championships with the Aces in 2023 and 2024. Las Vegas’ struggles have become apparent as the team went on to lose their season opener against the New York Liberty despite Wilson scoring 31 points and 16 rebounds.
ESPN analyst Helen Williams appeared on the ‘Her Hoop Stats’ podcast, wherein she discussed the Aces’ shortcomings against the Liberty during their devastating loss. Williams discussed the defensive aspects of the Aces’ game by noting, “Obviously defensively they did have a good game, missed some assignments, backdoors, you know those kinds of things. That, to me, is an easy fix. Nothing that was so glaring that there wasn’t something they could do to do a better job. I’m sure they will look at the film and, you know, sort those things up.” However, the more important analysis came during her breakdown of the Aces offense that had trouble coming together against the Liberty, with most players other than A’ja shooting at below par numbers.
Williams went on to observe, “The offense, I was a little more concerned with. I think, you know, sometimes Vegas, they go away from A’ja Wilson touching the basketball and they sort of dig themselves in holes and then you know they come back to her at the end of the game and go ‘hey, save us!’ And so I think that she should touch the ball a lot and I think, again, I don’t think it’s a very difficult fix, but when you give her the basketball in the open space and allow her to do her, it just makes everything flow better.”
It is clear that A’ja is the centerpiece of Vegas’ offense and should have a big role in running it whenever she is on the floor. Although the Aces have gone through a considerable change in their roster, they still are a championship contender if they heed the advice of the analyst. As many of the members of the team failed to perform well in the season opener, they were looking for a redemption arc in game 2, and they found it.
Were A’ja Wilson and the Aces able to fill the void left by Kelsey Plum?
Kelsey Plum, who played with the franchise for eight seasons, was traded before the 2025 season for Jewell Loyd. Loyd, who is also known as the ‘Gold Mamba’, is almost identical to Plum in many attributes, but does not quite match her output, or so we thought. In her first game with the Aces, Loyd had a poor outing, shooting 20% off the field as the Aces were whooped by the Liberty. Things were looking bleak for the recruit as Plum had started with all guns blazing with her new team, scoring 37 on opening night.
Questions were being asked of the Aces organization as to why such a trade took place that saw their beloved Plum depart the team for good. And Loyd has not helped her case, scoring just 5 points as a starter. However, she made a complete turnaround as she went off in game 2 against the Connecticut Sun, scoring 20 points along with 6 three-pointers. Coach Hammon praised Loyd’s performance by saying, “Jewell’s ability to stretch the floor opened things up for us. She’s finding her place, and that’s huge for our locker room.”
Even the team President, Nikki Fargas, was impressed by Loyd’s performance and understood how Wilson and Loyd were an essential part of the team. “This win shows the heart of this team.” Fragas noted, “A’ja, Jewell, and the entire roster stepped up, and our staff’s preparation was evident. We’re all in for this journey.”
A’ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd will have to continue stepping up their game and building up their chemistry as the season goes by to replicate the Aces’ previous success. As the season progresses, let us see how they fare with each passing game and whether the analyst’s advice is taken into account.
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