A WNBA dynasty is officially on pause, and it happened in the most brutal way possible for the Las Vegas Aces. They got absolutely swept by the Golden State Valkyries in the second round, crushing their hopes for another back-to-back title and ending their chase for a fourth championship in five years. While they showed flashes of brilliance all season, it never truly felt like they were the WNBA’s best team, despite their championship pedigree and having the league’s top player, A’ja Wilson.
A’ja Wilson’s MVP Season Couldn’t Stop The Slide
Individually, the Aces were still absolutely loaded with talent. A’ja Wilson had another MVP season, her third in a row and fifth overall. She led the league in scoring, dropping an insane 26.2 points per game, and her true shooting percentage was a ridiculously efficient 62.5. Wilson was a 2026 All-Star, and so was her teammate, Jackie Young. Young had a massive year of growth, averaging career-bests with 18.9 points and 6.8 assists per game. As a team, Vegas still finished with the third-best record in the WNBA and dispatched a tough Indiana Fever squad in the opening round of the postseason. Honestly, it’s only because of their unbelievably high standards that this season is even considered a letdown.
The Defense Fell Apart: Worse Than Ever
But a disappointment it was. The hard truth is, their defense wasn’t championship-worthy, and head coach Becky Hammon didn’t mince words after the sweep. She put it plainly: “If you want to win championships, you need to be a top 3, top 4 defense. And we weren’t this year. We weren’t. We had moments where we were pretty good, but we weren’t good enough to be at a championship level.” The numbers don’t lie. Their defensive rating was 105.9, putting them fifth in the WNBA. That’s not just bad for the Hammon era, it was the worst defense in franchise history, going all the way back to their San Antonio and Utah days in the 90s and 2000s. This is an older team, and you can see it in their speed; their pace was just 96.65, good for eighth in the league. They’ve been consistently dipping in pace throughout the 2020s, and it’s hammered their fastbreak scoring, averaging only 9.7 points per game. When you’re slower and your key players are declining, that high ceiling gets closer and closer to a dropping floor.
So what’s next for Vegas? They have some tough conversations coming up about how much longer their title window is really open. The next generation, with teams like the Valkyries and Atlanta Dream, aren’t waiting for their turn; they’re playing for the 2026 WNBA Finals now. This dynasty might be staring down a very different future.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Swish Appeal.
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