Las Vegas Aces Bio
The Las Vegas Aces is a professional basketball team Competing in the Women's National Basketball Association as part of the league's Western Conference. The Aces achieved significant success by winning both the 2022 WNBA Commissioner's Cup and the 2022 WNBA Championship. They continued their dominance by securing the 2023 WNBA Championship, making them the first team to win consecutive championships since 2001-2002. Before their move to Las Vegas, the team, based in San Antonio, qualified for the WNBA Playoffs seven times in fifteen years. Currently, this team is led by Aja Wilson and Kelsey Plum.
Team Name | Las Vegas Aces |
Founded | 1997 |
Conference | Western Conference |
Stadium | Michelob Ultra Arena |
Principal owner(s) | Mark and Carol Davis |
Head coach | Becky Hammon |
Mascot | BUCKET$ |
Las Vegas Aces History
The Las Vegas Aces were originally established in Salt Lake City, Utah, named the Utah Starzz, one of the eight founding teams of the WNBA's inaugural 1997 season. Starting year, the Starzz finished with the worst record in the league, and they continued to struggle in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons. However, in 2001, the Starzz made their first playoff appearance but couldn't go beyond the first round as they were swiftly eliminated by the Sacramento Monarchs. In 2002, they returned to the playoffs and managed to defeat the Houston Comets in the Western Conference Semifinals, before their journey ended in the Western Finals.
Before the 2003 WNBA season, the team shifted to San Antonio, Texas, and remarketed as the San Antonio Silver Stars, which was later changed to the San Antonio Stars in 2014. In 2018, the franchise moved to Las Vegas, becoming the Las Vegas Aces. As of August 2024, the team is owned by Mark and Carol Davis (also the owners of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders), along with Tom Brady who is the legend of American football. The Aces are one of three WNBA teams based in a market without an NBA team.
Las Vegas Aces Owner
In 2023, Mark Davis was joined by NFL legend Tom Brady as co-owner, marking a new era for the franchise.
Over the years, the Las Vegas Aces have so many owners starting from scratch, The team was originally founded in 1997 by the great Larry H. Miller who was also the owner of the NBA team Utah Jazz. This ownership lasted until 2002. In 2003, the team was acquired by Peter Holt, owner of the San Antonio Spurs, who maintained ownership until 2017 as the name of San Antonio Silver Stars. MGM Resorts International group then took over, owning the team from 2017 to 2021. In 2021, Mark Davis, the owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, became the new owner.
Las Vegas Aces jersey and Logo
Las Vegas Aces’s logo is very unique and dynamic.
Las Vegas Aces Retired Jersey
The Las Vegas Aces have honoured only one player by retiring their jersey named Becky Hammon, who wore number 25. Hammon played as a point guard for the team from 2007 to 2014. During her tenure, She established herself as one of the most influential players in the franchise's history and is the head coach of this franchise as of August 2024.
Las Vegas Aces Home Stadium
The Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association play their home games at the Michelob Ultra Arena, previously known as the Mandalay Bay Events Center. This 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena is situated within the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. This arena was also used as the home for the Las Vegas Desert Dogs which is the best team of the National Lacrosse League. Additionally, this mega venue hosts other events such as musical concerts, indoor sports, entertainment and political events.
Las Vegas Aces Tickets and Broadcasting Details
KVVU-TV, owned by Gray Television, holds the TV & broadcasting rights for the Las Vegas Aces. In a season at least ten games of the Aces' are shown on KVVU, while the rest of the matches are shown on the Silver State Sports and Entertainment Network, a subchannel of KVVU. Additionally, KVVU features a show dedicated to the Aces which was telecast on TV for only a 30-minutes weekly. Several Aces games are also broadcast nationally on networks such as ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Ion Television, CBS, and CBS Sports Network.
Las Vegas Aces Coaching Staff
The Las Vegas Aces' coaching and support staff are as follows,
Head Coach Becky Hammon, is a former player for the franchise which was helped by First Assistant Coach Natalie Nakase and is being supported by Tyler Marsh, the Assistant Coach and Head of Player Development, as well as Charlene Thomas-Swinson, another highly regarded Assistant Coach.
The team's medical and performance needs are managed by Medical Director Laura Ramus and Director of Health and Performance Ciara Burgi, with Lead Rehabilitation Specialist Jerrica Thomas and Lead Athletic Trainer Bryson Creer ensuring player health. Performance Coach Jeremiah Welch aids in maintaining peak physical condition.
Las Vegas Aces Famous Players
A'ja Wilson
A'ja Wilson, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, is an American professional basketball player who plays as a centre for the Las Vegas Aces. Known as the highest-scoring centre, Wilson played college basketball at the South Carolina Gamecocks, where she was the main factor in leading the team to their first NCAA Women's title in 2017.
In 2018, Wilson was selected by the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA draft as the first overall pick. Throughout her career, she has achieved remarkable milestones, including becoming a 2-time WNBA champion in 2022 and 2023, earning the WNBA Finals MVP title in 2023, and being named the WNBA MVP twice in 2020 and 2022. In the 2024 regular season, she averages impressive stats of 27.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in the first half of the season.
Kelsey Plum
Kelsey Christine Plum is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Las Vegas Aces. Standing at 5 feet 8 inches, Plum was selected 1st overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Stars and has since become a top point guard in the league.
Plum was honoured as the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year in 2021. Her most renowned achievement was when she achieved back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023 and won a gold medal in Women's 3x3 basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. During the 2024 regular season, Plum averaged 18.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 0.9 steals per game.
Las Vegas Aces WNBA Records and Stats
Year | Team | W | L | Finish | Coaches | Playoffs Result | Top WS |
2024 | Las Vegas Aces | 16 | 8 | 2 | Becky Hammon (16-8) | Season continues | A. Wilson (7.0) |
2023 | Las Vegas Aces* | 34 | 6 | 1 | Becky Hammon (34-6) | Won Finals | A. Wilson (10.4) |
2022 | Las Vegas Aces* | 26 | 10 | 1 | Becky Hammon (26-10) | Won Finals | A. Wilson (6.5) |
2021 | Las Vegas Aces* | 24 | 8 | 1 | Bill Laimbeer (24-8) | Lost Semis | A. Wilson (5.7) |
2020 | Las Vegas Aces* | 18 | 4 | 1 | Bill Laimbeer (18-4) | Lost Finals | A. Wilson (4.0) |
2019 | Las Vegas Aces* | 21 | 13 | 2 | Bill Laimbeer (21-13) | Lost Semis | L. Cambage (4.1) |
2018 | Las Vegas Aces | 14 | 20 | 6 | Bill Laimbeer (14-20) | Not Qualified | A. Wilson (4.4) |
2017 | San Antonio Stars | 8 | 26 | 6 | Vickie Johnson (8-26) | Not Qualified | K. McBride (2.4) |
2016 | San Antonio Stars | 7 | 27 | 6 | Dan Hughes (7-27) | Not Qualified | M. Jefferson (1.8) |
2015 | San Antonio Stars | 8 | 26 | 6 | Dan Hughes (8-26) | Not Qualified | S. Young-Malcolm (2.0) |
2014 | San Antonio Stars* | 16 | 18 | 3 | Dan Hughes (16-18) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | D. Robinson (2.9) |
2013 | San Antonio Silver Stars | 12 | 22 | 5 | Dan Hughes (12-22) | Not Qualified | J. Appel-Marinelli (2.5) |
2012 | San Antonio Silver Stars* | 21 | 13 | 3 | Dan Hughes (21-13) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | S. Young-Malcolm (5.8) |
2011 | San Antonio Silver Stars* | 18 | 16 | 4 | Dan Hughes (18-16) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | B. Hammon (3.7) |
2010 | San Antonio Silver Stars* | 14 | 20 | 3 | Sandy Brondello (14-20) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | M. Snow (3.2) |
2009 | San Antonio Silver Stars* | 15 | 19 | 4 | Dan Hughes (15-19) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | B. Hammon (4.5) |
2008 | San Antonio Silver Stars* | 24 | 10 | 1 | Dan Hughes (24-10) | Lost Finals | S. Young-Malcolm (6.2) |
2007 | San Antonio Silver Stars* | 20 | 14 | 2 | Dan Hughes (20-14) | Lost W. Conf. Finals | S. Young-Malcolm (5.1) |
2006 | San Antonio Silver Stars | 13 | 21 | 6 | Dan Hughes (13-21) | Not Qualified | S. Young-Malcolm (3.4) |
2005 | San Antonio Silver Stars | 7 | 27 | 7 | Dan Hughes (7-27) | Not Qualified | W. Palmer (3.3) |
2004 | San Antonio Silver Stars | 9 | 25 | 7 | Dee Brown (6-20), Shell Dailey (3-5) | Not Qualified | L. Thomas (3.3) |
2003 | San Antonio Silver Stars | 12 | 22 | 6 | Candi Harvey (6-16), Shell Dailey (6-6) | Not Qualified | M. Dydek (3.0) |
2002 | Utah Starzz* | 20 | 12 | 3 | Candi Harvey (20-12) | Lost W. Conf. Finals | M. Ferdinand-Harris (3.6) |
2001 | Utah Starzz* | 19 | 13 | 3 | Fred Williams (5-8), Candi Harvey (14-5) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | N. Williams (5.1) |
2000 | Utah Starzz | 18 | 14 | 5 | Fred Williams (18-14) | Not Qualified | N. Williams (6.4) |
1999 | Utah Starzz | 15 | 17 | 4 | Frank Layden (2-2), Fred Williams (13-15) | Not Qualified | N. Williams (4.9) |
1998 | Utah Starzz | 8 | 22 | 4 | Denise Taylor (6-13), Frank Layden (2-9) | Not Qualified | E. Baranova (2.3) |
1997 | Utah Starzz | 7 | 21 | 4 | Denise Taylor (7-21) | Not Qualified | W. Palmer |
Las Vegas Aces Hall of Famers
Becky Hammon is the only player in the franchise who decorated herself as the hall of famers point guard.
FAQ's On Las Vegas Aces
A. The Las Vegas Aces was founded in 1997 and has played in 23 seasons of the WNBA.
A. The Las Vegas Aces have won 2 times the WNBA championship.
A. Most recently, in 2023, Mark Davis was joined by NFL legend Tom Brady as co-owner of the Las Vegas Aces.
A. BUCKET$ is the mascot of the Las Vegas Aces.
A. In the 2024 WNBA Draft, Dyaisha Fair was the No. 16 pick, and Iowa guard Kate Martin at the No. 18 overall pick selected by the Las Vegas Aces.