The WNBA’s annual GM survey always offers plenty of topics for discussion. This year’s main controversy was the GMs’ opinions on Caitlin Clark and the Fever. Indiana was not among the top three picks to win the finals, more GMs picked Paige Bueckers as the player they would start a franchise with than Clark, and Clark also didn’t get the most votes for best point guard in the league. On top of that, the Wings, Storm, and Mystics all received more votes than the Fever when it came to picking the best young core in the league.
The Aces found themselves in a very different position. They dominated the survey. 40% of GMs picked them to win the finals, A’ja Wilson swept the MVP prediction, 73% of GMs picked Chelsea Gray as the best point guard, Wilson also dominated the best center debate, Becky Hammon received 40% of the votes for best coach, and Wilson, Gray, and Jackie Young were the top three answers when GMs had to pick a player to take a shot with the game on the line.
None of those answers should be particularly surprising, and they reveal the reality of this year’s WNBA season. Everyone—individuals and teams alike—is chasing A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces.
It’s a big season for the Aces
The Aces have already won three titles in four years with teams built around A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray. Last season, they won it all despite a horrendous start to the season. For a while, it looked like trading Kelsey Plum to the Sparks had ruined the team, but they eventually turned it around, went on an insane run to close out the regular season, and took down the Storm, Fever, and Mercury on the way to another championship.
Despite a tricky new salary cap and a wild free agency period, the Aces were able to re-sign all key players from their championship team and add Chennedy Carter to provide a spark off the bench.
Repeating is incredibly difficult, and other teams have built rosters to rival the Aces. Overcoming that challenge and winning another title would firmly establish the Aces as one of the best dynasties in league history. It would also have massive implications for individual players’ legacies.
If she wins another title, Chelsea Gray would be tied for the most championships by a player in league history. Only Rebekkah Brunson has ever won five championships, and Gray is the only active player with four titles to her name.
If the Aces win another championship, it’s reasonable to expect that A’ja Wilson will be in the running for MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP. Any of those awards would just further accelerate her rise to GOAT status.
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