The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
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Champs once again: How the Las Vegas Aces turned their season around

Devyn Potts, Reporter
October 13, 2025
ESPN
The Las Vegas Aces’ storybook season ended as they hoisted the coveted finals trophy. The journey, filled with adversity unlike their championships in years prior, only led to a dynamic and dominant finish. With the Aces’ sweep of the Phoenix Mercury, a new dynasty picks up the crown in Las Vegas.

Saturday, August 2, the Las Vegas Aces faced off in a home game against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. Both teams entered the game in stark contrast regarding where their respective seasons stood, with the Aces posting a 14-13 record and the Lynx a 23-5 record. The matchup ended disproportionately in the Lynxes’ favor, as they secured a 111-58 win over the Aces. The loss caused numerous individuals from sports media, fans and even players to discuss how the Aces, only one season removed from back-to-back championships, collapsed so quickly. In turn, the major question arose whether Vegas could fall out of playoff contention altogether.

Then, a text redefined the rocky season for the Aces. Center A’ja Wilson, the three-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), sent out a message to her teammates stating that if they felt embarrassed by the loss, they do not belong in the locker room. The leadership shown by Wilson motivated the Aces to clean up their play in an attempt to turn the season around. Vegas won back-to-back games against the Valkyries after that blowout loss, and the next 14 games after that. Ultimately, the Las Vegas Aces finished the season on a 16-game win streak, not losing a single contest after the blowout loss August 2. During the winning streak, the Aces also avenged their loss to the Lynx and secured the second seed for the WNBA playoffs.  

“I was really happy that the Aces [started to win], they were my top pick. The Aces are the current defending champions, and Becky Hammon is an amazing coach, so it was easy for me to root for them. I was also really excited about this [possibly] being their third championship,” magnet sophomore Ara Momoh said. 

The 2024-25 offseason entailed a substantial amount of movement for the Aces. Since their first championship in 2022, the Aces consisted of All-Stars and Olympians guard Kelsey Plum, Wilson, guard Jackie Young and guard Chelsea Gray. In fact, the Aces selected Plum, Wilson and Young first overall in three consecutive drafts, and Gray signed with the team in 2021 free agency. Amazingly, the “core four” recorded a 111-37 record, as well as back-to-back championships. 

Despite the success, Plum requested a trade out of Vegas; thus, the signing of another Olympian, Jewell Loyd, commenced. In addition to Plum’s departure, Sixth Women of the Year guards Alysha Clark and Tiffany Hayes signed with Seattle and Golden State, respectively. Rookie guard Kate Martin also left for Golden State in the expansion draft and key role player and comedian Syd Colson signed with the Indiana Fever. 

Despite the movement, the Aces still maintained the MVP, A’ja Wilson. In 2024, Wilson averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.6 blocks per game, the highest points per game average of all time. Wilson also recorded over 1,000 regular-season points, the first player in league history to achieve that feat. Prior to the season’s start, forward Napheasa Collier emerged as the front-runner for MVP. Collier also recorded impressive stats and led her team to the WNBA Finals in 2024. Accompany the 50-40-90 shooting splits with the Lynx controlling the one seed, and Collier held an impressive case for MVP. However, in the blowout win of the Aces, Collier sprained her ankle, keeping her out for seven games. Wilson therefore won a historic fourth MVP, becoming the only player in WNBA history to win the award four times.

After a tumultuous regular season, the playoffs arrived: In the first round, the Aces beat the Seattle Storm in three games due to Young’s game-winner. In the second round, the injured Indiana Fever put up a hard-fought series, taking the Aces to five games without six players and losing Kelsey Mitchell in game five. Despite the overtime thriller, the Aces once again came out on top. The Phoenix Mercury stood on the other side as the Aces’ competition. The Mercury consisted of a “big three” in forward Alyssa Thomas, guard Kahleah Copper and forward Satou Sabally. The Mercury’s impressive run in the playoffs included beating the defending champion New York Liberty and defeating the one-seed Lynx.

The Aces proved too strong for the Mercury, completing the four-game sweep on October 10 to win their third title in four years. The Aces head coach Becky Hammon, a generational guard of her time, boasts an incredible playoff win percentage of .900, the highest of all head NBA or WNBA coaches. The media voted Wilson as Finals MVP, the first player to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) and Finals MVP in a single season. Additionally, Young, Gray, Loyd and guard Dana Evans played a crucial role in the sweep. The Las Vegas Aces rollercoaster season from worst to first, capped off with the popping of champagne and a championship parade. 

Devyn Potts

“This is their third championship in four years, so that makes them a dynasty, alongside the Houston Comets. Again, with Becky Hammon being an amazing coach and leading her team to this point. The Las Vegas Aces are an amazing team with powerful players like A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, and they have great leadership from their coach, so it’s no surprise to me that they’ve become a dynasty,” Momoh said.

 
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About the Contributor
Devyn Potts
Devyn Potts, Reporter
Devyn Potts, a magnet sophomore, is starting her first year on The Chant staff and is looking forward to contributing as a Reporter for the 2025-2026 school year. Growing up in school, Potts always had a love for everything creative. In the first grade, Potts wrote about her love for chocolate, and it was submitted for a writing competition. Ever since then, her love for writing has only grown. Catch her on the sideline on Friday nights, cheering on the Warrior football team in the fall, and on the court, cheering on the basketball team in the winter. Oftentimes, you will hear Potts talking about sports, her many clubs, BSU, Tribal Connections and Beta Club, or any random thing that comes to mind. Potts has an immense love for any and everything sport-related, so feel free to come up and talk about stats, games, or headlines at any time.    Find her on Instagram @devynmckinley_.
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