Today is Friday, May 1, and eight days remain until the Las Vegas Aces open the 2026 season. At Dice City Sports, we are counting down to opening tip as the defending champs chase a fourth championship in five years while we rank the top 14 players in franchise history.
Margo Dydek
Dydek checks in at No. 8 after becoming one of the defining players of the franchise’s Utah and San Antonio eras. Across seven seasons with the Starzz and Silver Stars, she averaged 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.9 blocks in 224 games.
The 7-foot-2 center was the first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history and immediately gave Utah an elite defensive presence. Dydek averaged 12.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.8 blocks as a rookie in 1998, then remained one of the league’s top shot blockers for years. She earned All-Star honors with San Antonio in 2003 after averaging 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks.
Why she ranks here
Dydek ranks this high because she was the franchise’s first dominant interior defender. Her shot-blocking, rebounding and long run as a starter gave Utah and San Antonio a true defensive anchor.
Background
Dydek was born April 28, 1974, in Warsaw, Poland. The Utah Starzz selected her with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft. She died May 27, 2011, at age 37.
Career check
In 323 WNBA games, Dydek averaged 10.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.7 blocks while shooting 46.7% from the field. She was a two-time All-Star, an eight-time blocks champion and a two-time All-Defensive selection.
Next up tomorrow: No. 7.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
