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When the Las Vegas Aces fell to the New York Liberty in the WNBA Semifinals last postseason, it did not necessarily feel like the end of an era. The better team simply won the series, and then later went on to capture the championship. Although Vegas' two-year reign had come to an end, there was reason to believe the franchise could come back strong in 2025.
But the Aces were unable to keep the core together. They traded Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks in a massive three-team deal with the Seattle Storm in late January. Jewell Loyd is a two-time champion and six-time All-Star, but she has not been able to cure all of the team's issues. An understandable playoff shortcoming has turned into a concerning decline. Inefficient shooting is arguably the biggest problem, and it came to a head in Thursday's 80-70 loss to the Indiana Fever.
Las Vegas (12-12) reached a new low, going 2-of-15 from 3-point range. Aces head coach Becky Hammon has no problem with a dry spell, just as long as the execution is sound. She did not like how her squad organized its offense in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“What I'm concerned with is the quality of shots, and I don't think we did a great job creating quality looks from the 3-point line yesterday,” the 2023 Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame inductee told the media Friday, per Callie Fin of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “You get those by creating advantages, getting in the paint, getting downhill, sprinting out in transition, kicking the ball ahead, getting ball movement.
“But you don't get ball movement without player movement, and I thought we were very stationary in that second half. Standing around a lot, not creating those advantages for ourselves.”
The Aces’ 3-point shooting percentage this season (32%) is currently the third-worst in the WNBA.
That issue was on display last night against the Fever as the Aces went 2-of-15 from deep, a season low.
Here’s Becky Hammon in her pregame presser on the shooting woes: pic.twitter.com/pu1pEGf0rL
— Callie Fin (@CallieJLaw) July 25, 2025
Will Aces get it together?
Hammon stressed the importance of continuing to shoot 3-pointers when the opportunities are available. Like the legend said, though, the onus is on the Aces to earn those chances by playing with effort and discipline. Vegas is shooting 32 percent from distance, which ranks 11th out of 13 teams. At this point of the campaign, this does not appear to be a fluke. Management might have to address the deficiency by taking action ahead of the Aug. 7 trade deadline.
A'ja Wilson remains a powerhouse, averaging 22.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.7 steals per contest. She may not defend her MVP crown this year, with Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier enjoying a career season, but the franchise keystone is still a dominant force. Wilson's brilliance alone is not enough, however.
Becky Hammon and Vegas need to regroup and try to figure out what their identity is in 2025. If they can't, and the problems that the HC outlined persist, then calamity may truly befall the Aces. It will take longer than one night to fix the problem, though. They currently trail the Lynx by 20-plus points in the third quarter, shooting only 4-of-15 from 3-point land.
