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The Las Vegas Aces are coming off a second straight WNBA championship and so far they're looking like the top team in the league to start the 2024 season. The only major loss the Aces took in the offseason was losing Candace Parker to retirement. But the team was able to win the 2023 title with Parker sidelined. Perhaps the only area of concern for the Aces is the injury return timetable for Chelsea Gray.
Gray did not play in the Aces season opening win against the Phoenix Mercury and she's been ruled out for the Aces game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday as per Callie Lawson-Freeman of The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Gray also missed the Aces preseason game against the Puerto Rican national team as she's been dealing with a leg injury.
Chelsea Gray suffered a foot injury during Game 3 of last season's WNBA Finals and did not play in their title clinching Game 4. This will be Gray's fourth season with the Aces. She signed as a free agent ahead of the 2021 offseason after playing five seasons with the Sparks.
Gray was a driving force behind the Aces first championship in 2022. During the 2022 playoffs she averaged 21.7 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 61.1 percent shooting from the field, 54.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 83.3 percent shooting from the free throw line. She's been arguably the best point guard in the WNBA.
Aces are primed for a three-peat
While other teams in the WNBA certainly got better in the offseason, the Aces are set to win their third consecutive championship. They upgraded their depth with the free agent signing of Megan Gustafson after she put up a career season last year with the Phoenix Mercury.
The Aces depth was tested in the 2023 WNBA Finals when they were without Chelsea Gray, Candace Parker and Kiah Stokes by Game 4 of the series against the New York Liberty. They still managed to pull through and clinch the championship.
The Aces opened up this season with an 89-80 win at home against the Mercury. They were led by A'ja Wilson who finished the game with a game high 30 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, one steal and three blocked shots. She shot 10-of-22 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line.
They also got 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocked shots from Jackie Young. Young didn't shoot particularly well in the game going only 6-of-16 from the field and 2-of-8 from the three point line, but she did shoot 9-of-10 from the free throw line. The team also got 19 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal from Kelsey Plum.
The Aces had a strong 2024 WNBA Draft with two out of their four draft picks making the final regular season roster. Both Dyaisha Fair and Kate Martin are on the team's 12-player roster. Angel Jackson was cut during training camp and they will retain Elizabeth Kitley's rights as she continues her recovery from an injury she suffered last season while at Virginia Tech.
