Building The Las Vegas Aces Dynasty Continues

The Las Vegas Aces scored their rings—I mean bling—for last year's WNBA championship and then proceeded to pick up where they left off last season—winning.

A’ja Wilson proved once again she is the most dominant player in the game, scoring 30 points, collecting 13 rebounds and 5 assists, leading the Aces to an 89-90 victory over the Phoenix Mercury in front of Tom Brady and a sold-out crowd in Las Vegas.

Building a true dynasty in any sport is always filled with peaks and valleys. Teams generally have to deal with unforeseen injuries and up-and-coming teams trying to knock them off the top of the mountain. 

Entering the season, the Las Vegas Aces have the rare opportunity to solidify their dynasty status if they can win their third championship in three years. However, they start the season without Chelsea Grey, who is still out with a calf injury she sustained during last year's WNBA finals.

Still, the Aces have the most depth of any team in the WNBA and will be hard to beat in a five-game series.   

Before the game, Brady, a minority owner of the Aces, told the team during a locker room visit not to get too caught up in focusing on a three-peat.

"He was saying, 'The banners are always going to be there, so you don't have to try to defend that. Just go do what you've been doing,'" Wilson said. "That message made the night for me. Because I feel like we get so caught up in, 'Oh, my God, we've got to three-peat.' But that banner is going to be there forever. My ring is going to be in the trophy case forever. Let me focus on getting better, and then that's when everything else flows."

Aces coach Becky Hammon said she didn't tell the players beforehand that Brady was visiting, so it was a nice surprise for them.

"I thought it would be cool to bring a sports figure in who's not only invested in our team, but also knows a few things about winning," Hammon said, smiling. "Just let him have the floor. He's somebody who has sat where they've sat -- chasing history and trying to be the greatest.

"Those things don't just happen. You really have to be intentional about your work, your approach ... And about winning the moments. We're certainly happy that he came and shared some of his knowledge and passion and really love for women's sports."

Entering the season, the Aces are the favorites to win another title, and they clearly have the deepest roster of any team in the W. In fact, their roster makes up one-third of the USA National Basketball team.

Ultimately, if the Aces can stay healthy, it's unlikely any other team would take them down in a best-of-five series. 

Let’s face it: they have the best player in the league in Wilson, the best coach in Becky Hammon, the best floor general in Kelsey Plum, and I haven’t even brought up Jackie Young, Alysha Clark, and the outstanding point guard Chelsea Grey who is still out with a calf injury she sustained during last year WNBA finals.

Like in the NBA, anything can happen, and the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun are the two teams most likely to give the Aces a run for their money.

Once again, assuming everyone is healthy, it's hard to imagine that head coach Becky Hammon would be out-maneuvered by another coach in a five-game series. Tactically, Hammon always seems to be two steps ahead of her competition.

Two rings are great, but three rings would absolutely solidify the Aces' dynasty status.