How to beat the Las Vegas Aces: strong defense, smart shooting and luck

In Super Squads, The Athletic follows the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces in their quests to win a WNBA championship. Our reporters will tell the stories of the players on two of the most star-studded teams in league history and examine how their paths shape the future of the WNBA.

The Las Vegas Aces are currently 23-2, a record matched only by the 1998 Houston Comets through the first 25 games of a WNBA season. That Comets squad set the league record for win percentage (.900) by winning 27 of their 30 games, a mark that still stands today, en route to their second of four consecutive WNBA championships.

Suffice it to say, the Aces are in rarefied air as they stare down the second half of the league calendar. They’ve defeated every opponent they’ve faced this season at least once, though they’ve yet to match up against the Mystics, and they don’t appear to be slowing down, despite boasting a four-game lead over the second-place team in the WNBA standings. Since suffering a two-point loss to the Dallas Wings on July 7, Las Vegas has won each of its last games by double digits, including a 13-point win Sunday to exact revenge over the Wings. Per PBP Stats, this team has spent 19 percent of its possessions all season up by at least 20 points.

Perhaps the next two months will simply be an extended coronation for the Aces as they become the first team to repeat since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002 and set a wins record in the process. But Las Vegas has dropped two games this season, so losing is possible. That begs the question: How exactly can the Aces be beaten?

Throw multiple defenders at the MVP

A’ja Wilson is the beating heart of the Aces. She’s top-five in the league in both points and rebounds per game and the WNBA’s leader in blocks, but more importantly, she is the hub around which the Aces operate. She sets the tone with her energy and is the most consistent producer on the team.

Finding a way to stop, or at least frustrate, Wilson is the first step in trying to beat Las Vegas. And with Wilson’s never-ending motor, it helps to have multiple defenders up to the task. A rim protector with the length to contest Wilson is a must as is another rangier defender who can keep pace with Wilson when she attacks from outside of the paint. That pairing serves to take away Wilson’s easiest finishes at the rim while also providing the versatility to contain her face-up game.

Dallas has this combination with Teaira McCowan anchoring the middle and then Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally able to apply pressure away from the basket — Wilson has shot 17 of 46 in three contests against the Wings, visibly and especially deterred by McCowan’s rim protection.

Connecticut came close to this defensive ideal when Bri Jones was healthy and playing alongside Alyssa Thomas. New York has it in theory with Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart, but that hasn’t played out in reality when the Liberty matched up against the Aces.