NFL
By: Brock Vierra
The Las Vegas Aces aren’t playing around when it comes to the topic of dynasty. The 2024 season represents the potential of the greatest winning streak the WNBA has ever seen since the 90s. From 1996 to 2000, the Houston Comets won four straight championships. The league has yet to see a three-peat since.
Despite the Minnesota Lynx’s 4 titles in 7 years, they never won a title back to back and since the Comets no longer exist, their history remains an unfortunate afterthought by nonhardcore fans. The Aces are on the brink of something special, something new. Everyone loves a hero but remembers a villain and it’s time for our Las Vegas Aces to accept the role predestined for them and be the fodder every good story needs to have.
In every great tale, there is a villain. An opponent currently too powerful to defeat that our hero’s quest is based on. Their journey to defeat the all-mighty monster is a tale as old as time yet as entertaining and as prevalent as ever. We’ve seen this in basketball before. Jerry West succumbs to Boston pressure before Magic Johnson lifts the Laker franchise to new heights over the Mean Green. Michael Jordan, the ever-popular superstar has yet to reach the finals. The big, bad Pistons stand in their way. Oh, the drama and thus 90’s basketball was born.
Well we have our hero, Caitlin Clark, and her heroic heroines of the 2024 WNBA Draft class. An evolution of the modern baller, an evolutionary in a sport in need of popularity. Make no mistake, the WNBA is ridding the popularity train that Clark and her fellow classmates are bringing in from college. She needs to succeed, the league needs her to succeed and she will. She’s too talented not to. Too big to fail.
Clark needs a foe to defeat and it lies in Vegas. The Aces are back-to-back champs with the best player in the league in A’ja Wilson bringing forth a new era of the new-look Aces. In every great story, the villain must prove their strength and the Aces did that against second overall pick Cameron Brink and the Los Angeles Sparks.
Aces extinguish Sparks’ hope
The Sparks came into the game reeling from a 98-85 loss to the Atlanta Dream. Entering Vegas as the underdog, Brink came equipped with a familiar face. Former Ace Dearica Hamby returned. In her second year with Los Angeles, Hamby has a well earned place within the organization, having played for the Aces from 2015 to 2022. Coming over from San Antonio when the franchise moved, Hamby was named WNBA sixth woman of the year twice as well as being a two time All-Star with the team.
Hamby, known for a ridiculous and somewhat unnecessary half court shot to defeat Chicago in the 2019 playoffs also won a championship with the team in 2022. Hamby also left the Aces under controversial circumstances with claims being made against the Aces, sighting unfair treatment of pregnant players. Bad blood doesn’t being to describe the situation and Hamby had a point to prove. Hamby had a game high 29 points as well as 9 rebounds and 1 assist.
However her counterpart A’ja Wilson had a point to make and a point she made. Wilson put up 22 points and 10 rebounds. Her 22 points was tied with Jackie Young for the team lead as the guard had a big night as well. 22 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. Kelsey Plum made her mark, scoring 17 points of her own.
Despite a slow start shooting to begin the game, the Aces’ ball movement picked up throughout and opened up a variety of shots for the team. In contrast to their season opener, the three ball was much more friendly to the Aces. The team went 13-31 from deep, seven more makes compared to their last time out.
One of the major surprises was the extended run of play by rookie Kate Martin. Martin made a name for herself at Iowa alongside Clark and made the team after an impressive offseason. In her regular season debut, Martin put in 26 minutes of work. Martin went 1-4 shooting but had 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Martin could be the long term solution while Chelsea Gray continues to rehab.
The Aces made sure to keep Cameron Brink in check. The Sparks’ first round selection was 1-7 shooting as she put up a measly three points. Brink did have 8 rebounds put it’s clear her body isn’t ready for the league yet. Seemingly undersized, an offseason of strength and conditioning is just what the future star will need.
Becoming the villains
With Clark, the hero’s journey is nothing without trial. The Aces, the evil force just slayed Clark’s closest classmate in terms of pre-draft hype as they continue on their warpath. The Aces must embrace their new title as with the hate comes the rewards. No well written villain has ever existed without trophies of their conquest. For a league with new eyes on it, establishing a team to root against could be best for all.
The Aces will welcome Clark on May 25th but before then, the Aces have a rematch with Phoenix on Tuesday.
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