Talent-wise, the Las Vegas Aces are one of the strongest teams in the WNBA. Between A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd, the Aces’ roster boasts plenty of star power. NaLyssa Smith is also a former lottery pick.
Nevertheless, the Aces haven’t been able to figure things out.
They have an underwhelming 12-11 record and will spend the rest of the season battling for one of the last three playoff spots with the Indiana Fever, Golden State Valkyries, and Washington Mystics.
Plenty of issues have plagued the Aces all season long. A lack of consistent production from the starters around Wilson and Young is one. Lacklustre performances from the bench are another. For most of the season, the Aces haven’t had a reliable scoring boost off the bench. The Aces’ bench ranks tenth in scoring, twelfth in rebounding, and thirteenth in assists, and has often lacked a go-to scorer.
Dana Evans looks ready to change that.
Dana Evans has been a more consistent bench presence in July
Dana Evans got off to a slow start compared to what she has been producing recently. In May and June, she only scored double-digits twice, first in a loss to New York and then in a loss to Washington. July has looked much different.
Evans kicked the month off with a poor 1-10 shooting performance against the Indiana Fever, but quickly turned things around. She scored between 11 and 18 points four times, most recently in a big 87-72 win over the Atlanta Dream. Evans has been scoring much more efficiently, converting 48.3 percent of her field goal attempts.
Over seven games in July, Evans is averaging 10.9 points. That is the third most among all Aces players behind only Wilson and Young. While the Aces definitely need more out of their starters to help lighten the load on Wilson’s shoulders, it seems that they have a more consistent scoring boost off the bench now.
Las Vegas has one of the weaker benches among playoff hopefuls
As of now, nine teams are well-positioned in the playoff race. Only the Sparks, Sky, Wings, and Sun seem to have little chance of punching a ticket to the postseason. Among the teams that do have a chance, Las Vegas has had one of the weaker benches so far this season. Only the Dream and Storm benches average fewer points per game than the Aces’ bench. No bench for a playoff hopeful averages fewer assists or rebounds.
Rotations are usually shortened in the playoffs, but having one of the weaker benches could still hurt the Aces on the way to the postseason and once it arrives. Getting more scoring out of Evans is a great sign.