4 WNBA Teams that may suffer most from an Olympic hangover
By Elaine Blum
1. Las Vegas Aces
The reigning WNBA champions were heavily represented at the Olympics. They sent A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, and Chelsea Gray to play for Team USA, and Megan Gustafson represented Spain. That makes four starters and one rotational player who did not get a chance to rest during the Olympic break.
Plum, Wilson, and Young all average well over 30 minutes per game for the Las Vegas Aces, and especially Wilson played a big role for Team USA throughout the tournament. She led the team in minutes played in the final game against France.
The Aces are a little more fortunate than some of the other teams that sent a lot of players to the Olympics and do not have to play right away. On the other hand, their first matchup out of the break will be against the Liberty and make for a tough first game back. The first time those two teams met, it ended with a 90-82 loss for the Aces that they will look to avenge now.
Plus, the Aces have significant pressure on them to play well for the rest of the season. They are, after all, the reigning repeat champions. And yet, the Aces are already behind the Liberty, the Sun, the Lynx, and the Storm in the standings and do not want to drop any more games.