As the Las Vegas Aces return to action Thursday against the Seattle Storm following the FIBA World Cup break, there is little time to regroup before the Aces’ eighth consecutive postseason appearance.
The extended break came at a unique point in the season, giving some of the roster time to reset while leaving little margin for error as the franchise regroups with four regular-season games remaining.
With the playoffs quickly approaching, the Aces still have questions to answer, and how they respond could have a major impact on both their positioning and outlook as they begin their quest for a fourth championship in five years.
Here are five things to watch as the Aces close out the season.
A’ja’s health
Prior to this season, A’ja Wilson had missed just six games in her previous seven seasons and 14 in her career. This year, that number has grown to 18 games in her career, including the Commissioner’s Cup championship against the New York Liberty.
The priority of the four-time MVP’s health was on display when Wilson backed out of the FIBA World Cup due to “health reasons.” She had been listed on the injury report with a back issue in the games leading up to the break despite eventually playing in those matchups.
Including the Commissioner’s Cup championship, Wilson has missed four games this season, and the Aces carry a 1-3 record without her in the lineup.
Life without NaLyssa Smith
Following Smith’s season-ending injury sustained in the Aces’ matchup against the Toronto Tempo on Aug. 23, the franchise made the decision to sign veteran center Kalani Brown to provide depth in Las Vegas’ frontcourt.
Alongside Brown, the rotation of Stephanie Talbot, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Brianna Turner will have to fill the void Smith left, averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while leading the WNBA in field-goal percentage, shooting 63.8 percent on the season.
While a healthy Wilson will likely take a bulk of the minutes up front, there will be times when this new-look Aces rotation will have to find success without the help of the league’s leading scorer, who is currently averaging 26 points.
World Cup fatigue
Five Aces players were named to compete in the international tournament, tied with the Portland Fire and trailing only the New York Liberty (7) and Minnesota Lynx (6).
Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray went on to win a gold medal with Team USA, defeating France 97-79 while going undefeated through six games.
With the entire roster back in Las Vegas, the question will be how much the tournament took out of the Aces’ rotation.
This is the first time the World Cup has taken place in the middle of the WNBA season, as the event historically occurs following the conclusion of the league’s season.
Adjusting on the fly
In addition to the fatigue put on the players, Aces coach Becky Hammon now has just four games to find a preferred rotation prior to the start of the playoffs.
The break came at a time when Hammon was already attempting to find a suitable adjustment following Smith’s injury, and now, with a new face in Brown, more tweaking will need to be done.
With such a short ramp-up to the postseason, the final four games, all coming against non-playoff teams, will be about ramping up the pace of play while also positioning themselves favorably in the playoff race.
Building momentum
While Las Vegas has clinched a playoff spot, its playoff seeding can shift drastically depending on how the final four games of the regular season shake out.
Currently, the Aces sit third overall in the league standings with a 27-13 record, trailing only the Lynx (31-9) and the Golden State Valkyries (29-11), but the competition follows closely behind.
The Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever currently sit just a game behind Las Vegas with 26-14 records and a game in hand, while the remaining three teams in the postseason picture (Liberty, Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings) all carry 24-16 records.
If the Aces were to struggle coming out of the World Cup break, there is a scenario where the franchise could fall drastically in playoff seeding. But if they come out hot, they still have a shot at catching the Valkyries for the No. 2 seed, clinching home-court advantage until the WNBA Finals if they were to advance that far.
