2022 Las Vegas Aces season

The 2022 Las Vegas Aces season was the franchise's 26th season in the Women's National Basketball Association and the 5th year the franchise is based in Las Vegas after relocating from San Antonio and Utah. The regular season began on May 6, 2022, at the Phoenix Mercury.

On December 31, 2021, the Aces named former WNBA great and San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon as their new head coach.

The Aces started the season under Hammon in strong fashion, winning their first two games before losing a game. The team then went on a seven game winning streak to end May 9–1. The winning streak ended on the first of June, but the Aces then won their next four straight games. The end of June was not as kind to the team, as they lost three of their last four games, to finish the month 5–4. July got off to a rocky start, with the team losing two of its first three games, but then they won three of their next four before finishing the month on a four game winning streak. The winning streak would be five including the Commissioner's Cup Final. The Aces beat the Chicago Sky 93–83 to win their first Commissioner's Cup. Excluding that cup, the team finished July 8–3, and secured a berth into the 2022 WNBA Playoffs on July 24. They started the final month of the season on a two game losing streak, but won their last four games to finish the month 4–2 and secure the first seed in the playoffs. Their win in the penultimate game of the season gave them the better head-to-head record with Chicago and secured the tiebreaker for the top seed. Their final record of 26–10 in the regular season, was the highest win total in franchise history and their winning percentage of .722 was the second highest.

As the first seed in the playoffs, they had home court advantage against the eight seed Phoenix Mercury in the first round. The Aces won the first game 79–63 and cruise to a game two victory 117–80 to win the series two games to zero. In the second round they faced off against the fourth seeded Seattle Storm. Las Vegas lost the first game at home 73–76. However, they won game two 78–73 to send the series to Seattle tied. The Aces prevailed in over time in game three of the series and also won game four in Seattle to take the series three games to one. The Aces would again have home court advantage in the WNBA Finals where they matched up against the third seed Connecticut Sun. Las Vegas won the first two games at home 67–64 and 85–71 respectively. The Aces lost game three in Connecticut 76–105. However, they came back and won game four to win the series three games to one and finish as WNBA Champions. This was the first championship in franchise history. This also marked the first time a team won both the WNBA Commissioner's Cup and the WNBA Finals.

During the postseason, A'ja Wilson was named MVP, Jackie Young won Most Improved Player, Chelsea Gray was Finals MVP, and Coach Becky Hammon was named Coach of the Year in her first season.

Transactions

WNBA draft

Trades and Roster Changes

Roster

Depth

Schedule

Preseason

|- | 1 | May 1 | @ Minnesota | L 86–89 | Kelsey Plum (16) | A'ja Wilson (7) | Kelsey Plum (5) | Target Center<br>N/A | 0–1

Regular season

|- | 1 | May 6 | @ Phoenix | W 106–88 | Dearica Hamby (24) | A'ja Wilson (11) | Kelsey Plum (7) | Footprint Center<br>7,167 | 1–0 |- | 2 | May 8 | Seattle | W 85–74 | A'ja Wilson (20) | Dearica Hamby (19) | Kelsey Plum (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>6,212 | 2–0 |- | 3 | May 10 | @ Washington | L 76–89 | Jackie Young (19) | A'ja Wilson (11) | Chelsea Gray (5) | Entertainment and Sports Arena<br>3,082 | 2–1 |- | 4 | May 13 | @ Atlanta | W 96–73 | A'ja Wilson (15) | Dearica Hamby (13) | Kelsey Plum (11) | Gateway Center Arena<br>3,138 | 3–1 |- | 5 | May 17 | Phoenix | W 86–74 | Kelsey Plum (20) | A'ja Wilson (10) | Chelsea Gray (9) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>2,536 | 4–1 |- | 6 | May 19 | Minnesota | W 93–87 | Jackie Young (25) | Dearica Hamby (12) | Chelsea Gray (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>3,640 | 5–1 |- | 7 | May 21 | Phoenix | W 100–80 | Kelsey Plum (24) | Theresa Plaisance (9) | Gray<br>Young (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>5,572 | 6–1 |- | 8 | May 23 | Los Angeles | W 104–76 | A'ja Wilson (24) | Jackie Young (9) | Kelsey Plum (8) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>4,092 | 7–1 |- | 9 | May 28 | @ Chicago | W 83–76 | A'ja Wilson (22) | A'ja Wilson (16) | Gray<br>Plum<br>Young (6) | Wintrust Arena<br>6,812 | 8–1 |- | 10 | May 31 | Connecticut | W 89–81 | A'ja Wilson (24) | A'ja Wilson (14) | Kelsey Plum (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>4,693 | 9–1 |-

|- | 11 | June 2 | Connecticut | L 90–97 | Jackie Young (26) | Hamby<br>Wilson (7) | Kelsey Plum (8) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>3,801 | 9–2 |- | 12 | June 5 | Dallas | W 84–78 | Kelsey Plum (32) | Dearica Hamby (8) | Hamby<br>Plum (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>4,814 | 10–2 |- | 13 | June 11 | @ Los Angeles | W 89–72 | A'ja Wilson (35) | A'ja Wilson (11) | Kelsey Plum (8) | Crypto.com Arena<br>8,200 | 11–2 |- | 14 | June 15 | @ Dallas | W 92–84 | Kelsey Plum (27) | Dearica Hamby (12) | Chelsea Gray (8) | College Park Center<br>4,375 | 12–2 |- | 15 | June 19 | Minnesota | W 96–95 | A'ja Wilson (25) | A'ja Wilson (8) | Chelsea Gray (8) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>4,603 | 13–2 |- | 16 | June 21 | Chicago | L 95–104 | Jackie Young (23) | A'ja Wilson (11) | Gray<br>Plum (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>4,951 | 13–3 |- | 17 | June 25 | Washington | L 86–87 (OT) | Plum<br>Young (20) | A'ja Wilson (14) | Chelsea Gray (6) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>7,171 | 13–4 |- | 18 | June 27 | @ Los Angeles | W 79–73 | Kelsey Plum (29) | A'ja Wilson (11) | Jackie Young (7) | Crypto.com Arena<br>4,200 | 14–4 |- | 19 | June 29 | @ Seattle | L 78–88 | A'ja Wilson (17) | A'ja Wilson (16) | Chelsea Gray (8) | Climate Pledge Arena<br>9,499 | 14–5 |-

|- | 20 | July 1 | @ Minnesota | W 91–85 | Chelsea Gray (21) | A'ja Wilson (12) | Kelsey Plum (10) | Target Center<br>6,104 | 15–5 |- | 21 | July 3 | @ Minnesota | L 71–102 | Kelsey Plum (12) | A'ja Wilson (7) | Kelsey Plum (5) | Target Center<br>7,603 | 15–6 |- | 22 | July 6 | New York | L 107–116 | A'ja Wilson (29) | A'ja Wilson (9) | Chelsea Gray (6) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>8,405 | 15–7 |- | 23 | July 12 | @ New York | W 107–101 | Kelsey Plum (27) | A'ja Wilson (14) | Jackie Young (7) | Barclays Center<br>5,201 | 16–7 |- | 24 | July 14 | @ New York | W 108–74 | A'ja Wilson (25) | Dearica Hamby (7) | Jackie Young (9) | Barclays Center<br>9,896 | 17–7 |- | 25 | July 17 | @ Connecticut | W 91–83 | Kelsey Plum (22) | Hamby<br>Wilson (7) | Chelsea Gray (9) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>6,814 | 18–7 |- | 26 | July 19 | Atlanta | L 76–92 | A'ja Wilson (22) | A'ja Wilson (10) | Kelsey Plum (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>5,952 | 18–8 |- | 27 | July 21 | Indiana | W 90–77 | A'ja Wilson (23) | Dearica Hamby (9) | Chelsea Gray (12) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>5,737 | 19–8 |- | 28 | July 23 | Los Angeles | W 84–66 | Kelsey Plum (29) | Jackie Young (9) | Jackie Young (6) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>7,522 | 20–8 |- | CC Final | July 26 | @ Chicago | W 93–83 | Kelsey Plum (24) | A'ja Wilson (17) | Kelsey Plum (6) | Wintrust Arena<br>8,922 | N/A |- | 29 | July 29 | @ Indiana | W 93–72 | Plum<br>Wilson (22) | Jackie Young (7) | Gray<br>Young (5) | Hinkle Fieldhouse<br>1,828 | 21–8 |- | 30 | July 31 | @ Indiana | W 94–69 | Kelsey Plum (26) | Kiah Stokes (10) | Chelsea Gray (7) | Hinkle Fieldhouse<br>1,822 | 22–8 |-

|- | 31 | August 2 | @ Washington | L 73–83 | A'ja Wilson (22) | A'ja Wilson (12) | Kelsey Plum (5) | Entertainment and Sports Arena<br>4,200 | 22–9 |- | 32 | August 4 | @ Dallas | L 80–82 | Chelsea Gray (28) | A'ja Wilson (9) | Kelsey Plum (7) | College Park Center<br>3,492 | 22–10 |- | 33 | August 7 | @ Seattle | W 89–81 | A'ja Wilson (29) | Kiah Stokes (9) | Chelsea Gray (9) | Climate Pledge Arena<br>18,100 | 23–10 |- | 34 | August 9 | Atlanta | W 97–90 | A'ja Wilson (24) | A'ja Wilson (14) | Kelsey Plum (8) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>5,151 | 24–10 |- | 35 | August 11 | Chicago | W 89–78 | Kelsey Plum (25) | Kiah Stokes (7) | Kelsey Plum (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>6,055 | 25–10 |- | 36 | August 14 | Seattle | W 109–100 | Chelsea Gray (33) | A'ja Wilson (10) | Chelsea Gray (9) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>10,015 | 26–10 |-

Playoffs

|- | 1 | August 18 | Phoenix | W 79–63 | Kelsey Plum (22) | Kiah Stokes (13) | Gray<br>Plum (4) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>8,725 | 1–0 |- | 2 | August 21 | Phoenix | W 117–80 | Chelsea Gray (27) | Riquna Williams (5) | Chelsea Gray (8) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>9,126 | 2–0 |-

|- | 1 | August 28 | Seattle | L 73–76 | Chelsea Gray (21) | A'ja Wilson (12) | Gray<br>Young (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>9,944 | 0–1 |- | 2 | August 31 | Seattle | W 78–73 | A'ja Wilson (33) | A'ja Wilson (13) | Chelsea Gray (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>9,755 | 1–1 |- | 3 | September 4 | @ Seattle | W 110–98 (OT) | A'ja Wilson (34) | Kiah Stokes (12) | Chelsea Gray (12) | Climate Pledge Arena<br>15,431 | 2–1 |- | 4 | September 6 | @ Seattle | W 97–92 | Chelsea Gray (31) | A'ja Wilson (13) | Chelsea Gray (10) | Climate Pledge Arena<br>11,328 | 3–1 |-

|- | 1 | September 11 | Connecticut | W 67–64 | A'ja Wilson (24) | A'ja Wilson (11) | Chelsea Gray (3) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>10,135 | 1–0 |- | 2 | September 13 | Connecticut | W 85–71 | A'ja Wilson (26) | A'ja Wilson (10) | Chelsea Gray (8) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>10,211 | 2–0 |- | 3 | September 15 | @ Connecticut | L 76–105 | Jackie Young (22) | Kiah Stokes (7) | Chelsea Gray (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>8,745 | 2–1 |- | 4 | September 18 | @ Connecticut | W 78–71 | Chelsea Gray (20) | A'ja Wilson (14) | Jackie Young (8) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>9,652 | 3–1 |-

Standings

Playoffs

Statistics

Regular season

<br />^‡Waived/Released during the season <br />^â€ÂTraded during the season <br />^â‰ÂAcquired during the season

Playoffs

Awards and honors

References

External links

• Official website of the Las Vegas Aces