The Las Vegas Aces are not just stacking wins. They are starting to learn what this version of themselves can become.
After a rough ring-night opener, Las Vegas has answered with two straight road wins, including Wednesday’s 98-69 rout of the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Aces did it with defense, bench scoring, paint pressure and the kind of road-trip chemistry Becky Hammon said can help a team grow early.
The next test comes fast, with the Aces staying in Connecticut for a Friday rematch.
Foxhole basketball
Hammon said she does not mind an early road trip for a team still working new pieces into its system.
“I kind of like early road trips at this point because you’re kind of getting that foxhole early with each other,” Hammon said. “No distractions.”
That matters for this version of the Aces. The championship core is still in place, but Las Vegas is also building around new combinations, different bench groups and a major new weapon in Chennedy Carter.
Hammon said the chemistry cannot be forced. However, the road can help create it.
“I’m not the culture pusher here,” Hammon said. “The players are.”
Carter changes the math
Carter has already become one of the early stories of the Aces’ season.
She scored 27 points on 13-of-16 shooting against Connecticut, added eight rebounds, four assists and two steals, and did it all without attempting a free throw. Hammon called that “bonkers” after the game, especially considering how often Carter attacked the paint.
“She’s obviously elite at getting downhill and finishing, and the speed is eye-popping,” Hammon said.
The season numbers back up the eye test. Through three games, Carter is averaging 19.7 points in 21.3 minutes off the bench while shooting 73% from the field. That ranks third in the WNBA, behind only Natasha Mack and Makayla Timpson.
Carter also leads the league at 15.3 points in the paint per game. That is a wild number for a guard coming off the bench, and it explains why her fit already looks so dangerous.
It feels right
Carter said the fit has not felt forced.
“I’m just having fun,” Carter said. “I’m just thankful that I have a team that has embraced me, allowed me to be me, and it’s felt comfortable. It doesn’t feel forced. It just feels right.”
That line matters because Carter is not just giving the Aces points. She is giving them a different way to win.
A’ja Wilson said Carter adds a layer most teams do not have.
“You’re having a three-level scorer coming off of the bench that can get you 30 and 10 and five,” Wilson said. “Not a lot of teams have that.”
Carter said she is not focused only on points or minutes. She said her job is to help the Aces however Hammon needs, whether that means scoring, passing or putting pressure on the ball.
Defense travels
The Carter story is loud, but Hammon keeps bringing the conversation back to defense.
The Aces held Connecticut to 69 points and 33% shooting Wednesday. Las Vegas also outrebounded the Sun 46-29, blocked six shots and forced 13 turnovers.
“I think we get special when we play defense,” Hammon said.
That has been the biggest shift since the opener. Phoenix put 99 points on the Aces in the ring-night loss, but Las Vegas has responded by beating Los Angeles 105-78 and Connecticut 98-69.
Through three games, the Aces are tied for the league lead in blocks at 8.0 per game and rank fourth in steals at 8.3. They are also tied for second in assists at 22.7 per game, which shows the ball is still moving even as Carter adds more one-on-one pressure.
A’ja still sets the tone
Wilson’s Wednesday night started with foul trouble, but she still finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and her 121st career double-double.
She grabbed her 10th rebound 57 seconds into the fourth quarter after playing only nine minutes in the first half. Wilson said the foul trouble did not change her approach much, joking it was probably the most rest she had gotten since 2022.
More importantly, she liked what the win said about the Aces on an ordinary night.
“It’s easy to play on some big nights,” Wilson said. “But it’s the ones like this, when it’s a Wednesday, it’s hard to get up for these type of games sometimes. So we really had to dig deep and start stacking games and wins together.”
That is the real value of Wednesday’s win. It was not a ceremony night or a spotlight game. It was a road game in May, and the Aces treated it like a step toward something.
Still room to grow
Hammon was clear that Las Vegas is not finished.
The Aces scored 98 points Wednesday and are averaging 89.7 points through three games, fourth in the league. They also lead the WNBA in field-goal percentage at 52.4%.
Still, Hammon said the offense has another level.
“Scored 98 points and we’re not even shooting as many threes as I’d like or at the clip I’d like,” Hammon said.
That is the balance of the early season. The Aces are already efficient, already defending better and already getting a major boost from Carter. But they are still finding rhythm, spacing and the full shape of their rotation.
Quick rematch
The Aces stay in Uncasville for a quick rematch against the Connecticut Sun on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. Pacific.
The game continues a demanding early-season road stretch that sends Las Vegas from Connecticut to Atlanta, back home for one game against Los Angeles, then back on the road for games at Dallas, Golden State and Los Angeles.
For now, the Aces have their first real early-season answer.
The opener exposed problems. The next two games showed how quickly Las Vegas can start solving them.
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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.
