It sounds cliche at this point, but you really can never count out the Las Vegas Aces. Coming off a two-game losing streak, there were watchful eyes on the Aces' game against the Golden State Valkyries, especially since the latter team has been exceeding expectations to begin the season. This could have been the moment that solidified the Valkyries as a legitimate contender; the one that clued fans into the possibility of a new champion.
Instead, the Aces marched into Chase Center and outperformed the Valkyries by just about every metric, earning Hall of Fame Head Coach Becky Hammon her 150th win in the WNBA. She became the second-fastest coach to reach this checkpoint, doing so in 205 games.
"I get 150 with some of the greatest human beings to ever play. I love them...You hear it time in and time out that a player would run through a wall for their coach, but this coach would run through a wall for them," said Hammon after the 91-81 win.
When you watch the Aces play like they did on Sunday, it's almost as if you can feel that connectedness oozing from the court. For one, A'ja Wilson is still the best player in the world (to nobody's surprise). She scored an emphatic 28 points against the Gabby Williams-led Golden State team, also pulling down 15 rebounds and recording 4 assists and 4 blocks.
Perhaps what was even more special, though, was how many Aces players were able to eat alongside Wilson.
Jackie Young's offensive troubles come to a resounding end
If you were worried that Jackie Young wouldn't be able to bounce back this season, you were wrong. The guard, who's struggled to begin this season and has alluded to dealing with off-the-court troubles, cashed in five 3-point shots and finished the game with 23 points, her season-high by a decent margin. With the one-two punch of Wilson down low and Young at the arc, even the Valkyries top-rated defense didn't have a chance at containing the reigning champs.
This performance came as a relief to many fans, but the Aces locker room isn't all too surprised.
"I think the last few games is, a little much ado about nothing...I trust [Young]'s work, you know," said Hammon to media. "Sometimes I think I trust her work more than she trusts her work."
Wilson and NaLyssa Smith shared similar sentiments, praising Young's ability to impact games even when she doesn't score. As Wilson emphasized multiple times during her post-game availability, "sometimes you gotta give people grace."
NaLyssa Smith is a hidden gem
Somehow, in the midst of these performances from her All-Star teammates, young forward NaLyssa Smith also managed to have a dominant game, scoring 15 points (7-9 from the field) and grabbing 9 boards. It seemed like every time Wilson, Young, or any other Aces player missed a shot, Smith was there on cleanup crew–especially against a Valkyries team that severely lacks in size and post presence, her value cannot be understated.
"Whatever the defense gives me, that's what I'm gonna take...If I see an opportunity where I can flair my teammate on the backside for them to get an open 3, then that's what I'mma do. If I find an opportunity where I'm gonna duck in and it's a smaller defender, that's what I'm going to capitalize off of," said Smith.
Somehow, even when sharing the paint with a four-time MVP, Smith is able to get to her spots and dominate them. Coach Hammon is quite impressed, too: "[NaLyssa Smith] is someone who doesn't get a lot of plays drawn for her, and is still finding ways to impact games in really big ways."
Chemistry is king
Perhaps most importantly, this team cares for each other deeply. It's easy to tell by how they speak about and to each other, and it shows in how they show up for each other on the floor.
"[Hammon] instills so much power in us; so much confidence, and I think that's one of the reasons why I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get her wins," said Wilson after the game. "She gives you so much grace, and it's ridiculous...I love Rebecca Lynn, she's my girl..."
When a team of bonafide stars gets along this well, and is playing for a coach they want nothing more than to win for, there's not much you can do to stop them but hope for some careless mistakes. If the Aces continue to play like they did in their contest against the Valkyries—especially in the third quarter—we might be looking at another back-to-back.
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