The Aces are a dangerous team. They are almost fully healthy, have been consistent on the court and are communicating well, which contributed to a 16-game winning streak. If those three things can continue throughout the playoffs, Las Vegas could see themselves back in the WNBA Finals.<\/p>\n
The IX Basketball, a 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball newsroom powered by The Next Staying healthy<\/p>\n This is the first time in the 2025 season where the entire Aces roster has been healthy. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus<\/a> made her anticipated debut against the Chicago Sky on Tuesday, scoring 8 points in eight minutes. Against the Sparks on Thursday, she again scored 8 points, this time in six minutes and alongside 2 rebounds. Parker-Tyus was out for most of the season due to pregnancy and maternity leave.<\/p>\n The Aces faced relatively few injuries this season. Megan Gustafson<\/a> was out until July 10, and A\u2019ja Wilson<\/a> faced a concussion and a wrist injury that kept her out for a few games. At the end of the season, NaLyssa Smith<\/a> missed a game due to concussion protocol, and Kierstan Bell<\/a> missed the last game due to a lower leg injury.<\/p>\n With those players now available, the Aces should be a dangerous force against Seattle.\u00a0As of now, the Seattle Storm are only missing Katie Lou Samuelson<\/a>, who has been out for the entire season after tearing her ACL in May.<\/p>\n The 16-game win streak has been made possible by the team\u2019s continued health. Parker-Tyus was the only player out for a significant portion of the season, and has since found her role on the team, quickly fitting into the Aces\u2019 system. This team, when healthy, can be a powerhouse. To succeed against a similarly healthy Seattle Storm, the Aces will need to maintain their health and skill.<\/p>\n Keeping up good communication<\/p>\n In all healthy relationships, whether it\u2019s a team or a partner or a friendship, effective communication is very important. The communication between the Aces players has improved dramatically, leading them into the win streak. Their defense has improved dramatically since their first home match-up against the Minnesota Lynx, where they lost by 53 points. Since then, the Aces<\/a> upped their average blocks to 5.2 per game in the last 15 games. They\u2019ve also averaged 7.9 steals per game in that time, getting 13 steals against the Sparks.<\/p>\n The Aces have also been passing a lot more. While point guard Chelsea Gray<\/a> averages 5.4 assists per game, the team overall is averaging 19.6 assists per game. This increased ball movement is allowing players to move around more and find open pockets in their opponents\u2019 defenses. They openly communicate about who\u2019s getting the ball, leading to better shots and, ultimately, wins.<\/p>\n Order \u2018Rare Gems\u2019 and save 30% If you enjoy Megdal\u2019s coverage of women\u2019s basketball every Wednesday at The IX Sports, you will love \u201cRare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.\u201d Click the link below to order<\/a> and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout to save 30%!<\/p>\n Being consistent<\/p>\n When head coach Becky Hammon<\/a> swapped Bell<\/a> and Jewell Loyd<\/a> in the starting lineup, Hammon praised Bell for her consistency. While her stat sheet may not be flashy, she makes critical plays and defensive moves, enough to justify a spot in the starting lineup until the end of the season. Aaliyah Nye<\/a> would take Bell\u2019s spot for two games while she was injured.<\/p>\n Consistency in effort and results on the court has been a major factor in the Aces\u2019 success. Throughout the season, Wilson has reliably scored 15 points per game, including multiple 30-plus point games. She even set the league record for most 30-plus point games with 13. This has allowed Wilson to break several league records this season, including hitting the only 30-point and 20-rebound double-double<\/a> in WNBA history.<\/p>\n Your business can reach over 3 million women\u2019s sports fans every single month!<\/p>\n Here at The IX Basketball<\/a> and The IX Sports<\/a>, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women\u2019s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at BAlarie@theixsports.com<\/a> to discuss ways to work together.<\/p>\n But regularly playing at the top of their game seemed to be a struggle at the beginning of the season. Prior to their stunning 53-point loss to Minnesota on Aug. 2, the Aces had a record of just 14-13, including multiple losses to teams that would eventually miss the playoffs. However, after that second loss to the Lynx, the pieces began to fall into place. With Loyd providing consistent scoring from the bench, the Aces\u2019 second unit has provided strong relief to the starting five, allowing them to maintain their leads.<\/p>\n The Aces were the second team to clinch a playoff spot, and also secured the second overall seed (Las Vegas\u2019 3-0 record in their series with Atlanta broke the seeding tie in their favor). Game 1 against the Seattle Storm will take place on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 10 p.m. ET at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The game will be live on ESPN.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Aces are a dangerous team. 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The IX Basketball<\/a>: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX Sports<\/a>. 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.<\/p>\n
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX Basketball and The IX Sports, wrote this deeply reported book. \u201cRare Gems\u201d follows four connected generations of women\u2019s basketball pioneers, from Elvera \u201cPeps\u201d Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.<\/p>\n