The Las Vegas Aces have been truly dominant for the last few years, winning three championships in four seasons. There are many reasons for that success. Becky Hammon is an outstanding coach. A\u2019ja Wilson is the best player in the world. Jackie Young has grown into one of, if not the best, two-way wings in the league. Chelsea Gray\u2019s veteran leadership is invaluable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u2019ja Wilson also attributed her team\u2019s success to another factor: the ownership\u2019s dedication to investing in its players. When she appeared on Kylie Kelce\u2019s podcast, she spoke about the difference a good practice facility can make\u2014something several Aces players also addressed after the 2025 championship<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe were one of the first WNBA teams to have a practice facility and people wonder, \u2018Oh, what makes the Aces great and why are they so great and why are they constantly in the conversations?\u2019 Because we have exactly what we need and we don\u2019t have to come into work thinking and wondering, \u2018Oh, is this going to work? Or now I have to drive and share this court with people?\u2019 We don\u2019t have that problem and so now it\u2019s kind of like making sure that others, owners, or anyone else, put your money where your mouth is and give us what we need,\u201d Wilson said<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Practice facilities that meet the standards professional athletes deserve don\u2019t just help attract free agents, they also help improve the on-court product, and owners should\u2019ve realized that years ago. <\/p>\n Practice facilities aren\u2019t a luxury<\/p>\n For the longest time, practice facilities were considered a luxury in the WNBA. Players didn\u2019t have a place to work out that was just their own or even dedicated locker rooms. Having that is not a luxury. It\u2019s something that\u2019s needed to put the best possible product on the court. Just imagine you get a job with a popular IT firm that you\u2019ve always wanted to work for, but then find out that you have to get your work done at a public library because your boss doesn\u2019t want to pay for a dedicated office space.\u00a0<\/p>\n By now, several WNBA teams have dedicated practice facilities. The Aces, Mercury, Valkyries, and Storm all have new state-of-the-art practice facilities. The Lynx share practice facilities with the NBA\u2019s Timberwolves and the Mystics share with the Wizards. The Portland Fire will get a new practice facility that they will share with the NWSL\u2019s Thorns once they join the WNBA.\u00a0<\/p>\n