TC Martin

Aces Try to Recreate Second Half Magic  

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One year ago, the Las Vegas Aces were in a precarious situation.  One they didn't expect to be in but one that ended up being the pivotal moment that turned things around. 

 

The date was August 2, 2025.  The Minnesota Lynx delivered a humbling beatdown to the demoralized Aces by a tune of a 53-point loss on their home court.  The sellout crowd at the Michelob Ultra Arena was stunned and couldn't believe what they just witnessed.  The 111-58 thrashing severed as a wakeup call and wakeup message from their leader. 

 

A'ja Wilson went home and sent a group text to her teammates and basically said if you aren't' embarrassed on what happened last night then don't come to gym tomorrow.  Things changed from there.  The four-time MVP had spoken and her team responded. 

 

At the time Las Vegas was 14-14 and were on the verge of missing the playoffs.  What happened next was a 16-game winning streak to close the regular season and the rest is history.   The Aces went on to win their third championship in four years.

 

This season's first half is not nearly as bad.  The Aces went into the All-Star break with a record of 18-8.  A nice mark but they did lose four of their previous eight games.  After the break, Las Vegas won their first two contests at home over Portland and New York before trekking on the longest road trip of the season. 

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The Aces looked to be continuing that hot streak with their first of the five-game trip in Chicago on Saturday.  After leading by 13 points, the Aces crashed and burned down the stretch being outscored 29-18 in the fourth quarter in falling to the Sky 84-83 on a last second three-pointer by Sydney Taylor.  It was disheartening to lose in that fashion espcially with the toughest portion of the trip upcoming.  

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Las Vegas (20-9) currently sits in second place behind the Lynx (25-6) and will face Atlanta on Monday.  The next four games feature battles with teams all vying for playoff position.  After Atlanta, the Aces travel to Indiana, Minnesota and New York.  

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This will be a telling test of how the Aces respond.  Hopefully it is a repeat of what we experienced a year ago.