The Las Vegas Aces are nearing the start of their WNBA Preseason campaign. Their first matchup will be against the Phoenix Mercury. Before all of that happened, they had one crucial stop and it was the annual visit to the White House. Joe Biden greeted the women with much glee and elation. While they may have lost a veteran like Candace Parker due to retirement, there are still high hopes for the A'ja Wilson and Alysha Clark-led squad to notch another title this year. Even the President of the United States of America had to joke about getting another title, via the WNBA.
“The first WNBA team, in over 20 years, to win a title back-to-back. I kind of like that back-to-back stuff,” Joe Biden said during the White House visit.
Obviously, this is a joke about the current president wanting to be re-elected. But, it is also a show of his faith to the Aces' ability to once again notch the WNBA title this season. After all, their core is still pretty much intact. Kelsey Plum could still light it up from the perimeters alongside Jackie Young. The duo of Alysha Clark and A'ja Wilson also still have the ability to ravage their opponents in the three levels of scoring too.
They will have to do it without the aforementioned legend in Candace Parker. Cayla George no longer being the woman in the middle might also make their life throughout the season a bit hard. However, Coach Becky Hammon is very good at developing players and using them properly through her schemes.
Aces' offseason acquisitions
They also have a slew of new players that can make the roster soon. The Aces were picked four times in the WNBA Draft and each of these ladies has shown a great deal of promise. Dyaisha Fair, who they acquired with the 16th pick, is an insane volume scorer out of Syracuse. She managed to sink 35% of her shots from outside to help her notch 22.2 points a night. Her three-and-d capabilities also got her an All-Defensive Team nod in 2023.
Kate Martin is also another prominent name that the Aces notched this year. She knows how to play with stars well because of how she complimented Caitlin Clark back in Iowa. The 18th pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft is no stranger to high-pressure situations because she just came off two straight national championship game appearances. The A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum-led squad could surely use some of her winning acumen.
The main theme for the Aces' offseason was to find firepower. They got all that and more with the 24th pick as they selected Elizabeth Kithley. Prior to her ACL injury, no one could stop her from going ballistic on offense. She ended her Virginia Tech stint with 2,709 points alongside 1,506 rebounds. Both of those numbers were enough to make her the ACC's all-time leader in boards and buckets.
Speaking of replacing Cayla George, Angel Jackson could be the fit. This insanely talented center had a total of 171 blocks throughout just 64 appearances. One can only imagine how much damage she and Juju Watkins would have done if she stayed at USC.
Joe Biden and that crowd in the White House are not the only ones looking for some glory in 2024. The Aces are more than ready for a three-peat.
Follow Us
Subscribe