The two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces are off to a rough start as they have been inconsistent over the first month of the season.The Aces (5-4) have dropped three of their last four games. They didn’t lose their fourth game last season until August.
“We’re one team in Minnesota,” coach Becky Hammon said after a loss at Los Angeles on Sunday night. “We’re another team in Atlanta. We’re one team in Dallas; we’re another team against Seattle.”
It hasn’t helped that Las Vegas has been playing without starting guard Chelsea Gray, who is still recovering from a leg injury she suffered in the WNBA Finals last season. There is still no timetable on her return.
One constant for Las Vegas has been the stellar play of A’ja Wilson.
She has scored at least 20 points in 14 consecutive games, setting a new WNBA record in the process. She became the third fastest player in WNBA history to reach 4,000 career points in Sunday’s loss. The only players to do it faster were Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi.
New York has taken over the No. 1 spot in this week’s AP WNBA poll. The Liberty went 4-0 last week to clinch home court advantage in the Commissioner’s Cup title game. Connecticut was second and Minnesota third. Seattle and Las Vegas were the next two. Phoenix was sixth and Atlanta seventh. Los Angeles and Chicago followed. Dallas, Indiana and Washington rounded out the rankings.
