Under coach Becky Hammon, the Las Vegas Aces are currently fighting it out in what is their third WNBA Finals appearance in four seasons. The Aces finished second in the regular season with a 30-14 record and have largely depended on their “Big 3” of A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young.
Wilson in particular has been the standout, snagging her fourth overall and second-straight MVP award with averages of 23.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. She was once again incredible in Game 1 against the Phoenix Mercury, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as her team won 89-86.
However, another particular aspect that has stood out as a norm this season has been the Aces’ bench unit. The Aces’ bench outscored the Mercury’s reserves 41-16 in the first game, with the likes of Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd leading the charge.
The Aces’ reserves, apart from providing points, have consistently brought in energy and drive, giving their starting stars the breaks they need to continue producing at a high level.
“The bench has really been a difference maker … I think we have the best overall bench that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Hammon had said before the NBA Finals, per Yahoo Sports.
The Aces’ reserves have shown up clutch in the postseason
The analysis takes further depth when one considers that only in June, the bench unit was seen as an outlined weakness. Until the 89-81 victory over the Indiana Fever on June 22, the Aces’ reserves scored an average of 16.2 points per game, ranking 12th out of 13 teams, with only the Los Angeles Sparks’ bench unit scoring less, per The Sporting Tribune.
However, since then, things have changed dramatically. In Game 1, Dana Evans became the first player in WNBA history to get five three-pointers and four steals in a Finals game. She was the joint top-scorer with 21 points while Loyd added 18.
Those two, along with Megan Gustafson, who scored only two, accounted for 46% of the team’s total points. However, the bench has not been crucial when it comes to scoring alone.
Gustafson played 11 crucial minutes when Wilson needed rest, while players such as Aaliyah Nye and Kiah Stokes have also provided much-needed energy and defensive grit when called upon throughout the season. During the postseason, the Aces’ bench unit has seen a huge uptick, now adding 20.8 points per game.
Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans have proved crucial for the Aces
Evans, who averaged 6.6 points and 2.2 assists per game in the regular season, is now averaging 8.8 points and three assists per game. Out of nine postseason games thus far, she has scored in double digits five times, culminating in the 21-point display in Game 1.
On the other hand, Loyd has also come up clutch when needed. She scored 27 points off the bench in the first two games against the Seattle Storm, had 10 against the Fever in Game 2, and produced 18 in her latest postseason outing.
For a team that has seen consistent brilliance from its starters, the Aces’ bench has also been impressive on both ends of the court. Hammon sees it as well, considering she had no qualms in proclaiming this bench unit as the Aces’ best during her time with the franchise.
The 2022 and 2023 championship runs also had bench stars who contributed. Players such as Alysha Clark and Cayla George proved crucial in 2022, while Riquna Williams, Kierstan Bell and even Dearica Hamby contributed in 2023. In such a scenario, Hammon proclaiming the current bench unit as the best certainly proves exactly what Game 1 did as well.
This Aces team is not merely limited to its gifted starters, and have multiple stars who can make a major impact in games, something which is likely to continue for the rest of the games as well.
