NFL
By: Brock Vierra
A’ja Wilson, the 27 year old superstar from South Carolina proved once again why she is the best player in the WNBA as her Las Vegas Aces opened their season with a 89-80 win over the Phoenix Mercury. Wilson herself wasted no time, establishing herself as the front runner for the WNBA MVP award. Looking for number three, Wilson put up 30 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists in 35 minutes of play.
Wilson may be looking for a third MVP but best believe all eyes are on a different three and that’s the franchises third straight championship. Head Coach Becky Hammon quickly established herself as one of the best coaches in all of basketball during her time with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and her immediate success in the WNBA has only made her name grow evermore within the hoops community.
Hammon however has to be a bit relieved by her team’s performance in the season opener. Not only did her team overcome a poor second quarter that saw a 15 point lead get reduced to 1 before halftime but a valiant second half performance saw them out score the Mercury by 8 points.
Wilson’s big day exemplified team performance
The Aces’ “Big 3” showed up and showed out. Wilson’s performance was impressive but guards Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum provided the support needed to ensure a winning effort.
Young was excellent on both ends of the court. She put up 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Young’s big night has definitely given Hammon confidence in playing the burgeoning star more while Chelsea Gray continues to work her way back from injury.
Alongside her was Kelsey Plum. Plum, one of the last remnants of the San Antonio Stars, the name of the franchise before it’s move to Vegas, let her veteran presence be known on the court. She had 19 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. A promising sign for the two time All Star as she deals with her divorce from NFL star Darren Waller. Considering paperwork was filled less than a month ago, it seems Plum has remained focused through this difficult time.
However there are some concerns outside of Wilson, Young and Plum. Alysha Clark is clearly the fourth best player on this team and her defensive prowess shined it’s beautiful head again tonight but at 36 years of age and considering she only had one start in 2023, relying on her could prove to be costly as the season goes on.
The Aces also have yet to find the three point ball. The reason why the Mercury were able to come back in the second quarter is the fact that they hit the three ball while Vegas didn’t. The Aces were 6-29 from beyond the three point line while Mercury legend Diana Taurasi shot 7-11 by herself.
Which leads us to the third major concern which is what would’ve happened if Phoenix’s star center Brittney Griner had played. Griner, a nine time WNBA All Star missed the contest due to a toe fracture. Had Griner played, Wilson may have not been able to get her shot off as consistently as she did and we’re looking at a different ball game.
As Becky Hammon and company continue to improve and tweak the rotation, it’s nice to see the Aces playing foundational basketball, just like they’ve done for the past three years and as the team goes for a three peat, I would like to join in on the threes party. Here’s three major takeaways from the game.
One. A’ja Wilson’s midrange jump shot remains deadly. A sniper from outside the key, Wilson can pop it at anytime, creating a matchup nightmare for opponents. It will be interesting to see if Hammon deploys plays for Wilson with her rolling after setting off ball screens.
Two. Jackie Young’s lateral quickness and explosiveness continues to excite. A quick step and then boom, a turnover is created. Young closes space so fast and then in turn, uses her speed in transition to attack the hoop. I would like to see her turn up the aggressiveness periodically throughout the season.
Three. For the Mercery, the shots are there. Kahleah Cooper staked her claim towards a fourth consecutive All-Star selection via her 19 points off of 7-19 shooting including 3 three point shots while Rebecca Allen put up 14 points and 7 rebounds. If Griner is able to come back and play as her old self soon, we could see the Mercury wipe off such a poor 2023 season.
The Aces host the second overall pick Cameron Brink and her Los Angeles Sparks on May 18th. Another opportunity to witness a Wilson masterclass.
For more WNBA conversations, check out the episode of Off The Dome.
