How the Aces Flipped Their Season Through Adjustments, Role Changes, and Resilience

It’s Not About How You Start; It’s About How You Adjust:

Rough to Start to The Season

You can’t talk hoops without mentioning the Las Vegas Aces, they have been on an impressive run. Sure, their season started a little rough— The Las Vegas Aces were 5-5 in their first 10 games of the regular season. Due to concussion protocol, A’ja Wilson missed a few games, and her absence was felt on the offensive and defensive end. Jewell Loyd was acquired in the offseason and according to ESPN, she was experiencing her lowest shooting percentage since her rookie season. That’s a lot of adversity early on for the Aces and Coach Hammon but if any team could adjust and turn things around, it would be the Las Vegas Aces.

However, after the historic 53-point loss against Minnesota, they have not looked back. They extended their win streak to 12 in a row after their latest win over the Atlanta Dream. They have clawed their way from the 8th seed to clinching a playoff spot. There has been some top tier problem-solving, and adjustments made for Vegas to be the 2nd seed in WNBA standings. 

A New Role for The Gold Mamba

Despite the start to a shaky season, Jewell Loyd seemed to have come alive. After the loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on June 11, Coach Hammon shared in the presser that bringing Loyd off the bench has been discussed. But it wasn’t until nearly a month later, on July 27^th in a matchup against Dallas, that Loyd played off the bench. Despite the 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx on August 2^nd, the decision to play Loyd as a reserve has proven to be an effective move-- Loyd has been averaging about 16.9 points off the bench compared to the 10.4 points as a starter. She even tied a franchise record with 7 3-pointers against Golden State. Loyd has been more efficient from the field and beyond the arc in her role as a reserve, which was not a demotion, but an adjustment that she agreed with and it seems to have helped her find her confidence again and contributed to some wins for her team. As Coach Hammon stated, “I mean, it’s Jewell Loyd!” 

Trading for NaLyssa Smith

Smith may have been blind-sided by the trade to Las Vegas on June 30^th, but she has been a great fit to the Aces squad. The Aces needed to add some depth to their frontcourt scoring and rebounding because it has been overly reliant on the 3x league MVP, A’ja Wilson. Smith has made an impact on both the defensive and offensive end for the Aces. Her physicality and toughness alongside A’ja have been impressive. A’ja referred to Smith as her twin because they share the same birthday and stated that she’s a quick learner, in regard to adapting to their system. Smith is in an environment where her teammates and coaches believe in her, evident in the move to make her a starter. 

Coach Becky has praised Smith for her ability to make deflections. Coach Daryl Harris has praised Smith for protecting the rim better. Smith is currently averaging about 7 PPG but her hustle gives this team energy whenever needed. She has recorded a few double doubles since joining the Aces. Her best game with the Aces thus far was the 90-86 win over the Storm where she scored 10 points and grabbed a season high of 12 rebounds. It will be interesting to see how NaLyssa continues to develop under Becky Hammon, so far this move has been a win for both Smith and the Aces. 

The Big Three

Coach Hammon has been clear that the lack of effort and focus contributed to most of the early losses for her team. But the Aces have flipped the momentum with adjustments to the roster, and the players have had a mindset shift as well. 

What happened since the historic 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx? The Aces have gone on a 12-game winning streak, going from the 8^th in WNBA standings to 2^nd seed.  A key piece to this success is A’ja— not just her consistent strong performances, but her leadership. A’ja holds her teammates accountable without shaming them--she doesn’t throw them under the bus in the pressers.