PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 17: Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury heads out to the court before the game against the Los Angeles Sparks in Game Three of the Semifinals during the 2017 WNBA Playoffs on September 17, 2017 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 6: A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces looks on before the game against the China National Team in a WNBA pre-season game on May 6, 2018 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Rookie of the Year: A’ja Wilson, Aces (unanimous)
There was little debate about this one. Wilson comes to Las Vegas from South Carolina, where she was a national champion in 2017 and national player of the year in 2018. As the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, she will be expected to have an instant impact, and can be a star from day one. So far in the preseason, Wilson has been efficient, versatile, and dominant, and appears to be the face that the franchise will need in its new home.
