Know All About Las Vegas Aces: Roster, Owner, Coach and More
Las Vegas Aces landed on the WNBA map when they first scored the championship as a team in 2022. They continued the feat again in 2023 and proved that it was a lucky hit for the first time. In fact, they became the sole team to win two consecutive WNBA titles after 2001-2002. Since then, the team has gained the respect of other franchises in terms of skills. However, it had its ups and downs with changing owners over their stint in the league. Today, we are going to explore their whole journey from scratch.
Las Vegas Aces Overview:
The Aces have a long list of players with championship goals and a history of regular postseason appearances. However, we must get to know about the rough idea of the organization and what type of presence it possesses among its fans.
Founded | 1997 (originally as Utah Starzz) |
Owner(s) | Mark Davis and Tom Brady |
Location | Las Vegas, Nevada |
Nickname | Aces |
Head Coach | Becky Hammon |
Mascots | Bucket$ |
Arena/Stadium | Michelob ULTRA Arena |
Website | LasVegasAces.com |
Social Media | Instagram- @lvaces, X- @LVAces, Facebook- Las Vegas Aces |
Net Worth | $140 million as per Sports Illustrated |
Championship/MVP | 2(2022, 2023)/ 3 WNBA MVP Award(2020, 2022, 2024) |
Popular Players | A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Candace Parker |
Las Vegas Aces Roster:
Looking at the roster of the Las Vegas Aces, it carries a certain depth to it. Recently, when Kelsey Plum entered the league, she made sure that the team went for the title. However, the aspirations could only take the Aces far to the semi-finals. Now, the Aces have arranged this roster to fulfill their desires as per the Las Vegas Aces archives:
Las Vegas Aces Coach – Head Coach
Las Vegas Aces President Nikki Fargas announced on December 31, 2021, that the team hired San Antonio Spurs assistant and 6-time WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon as the team’s head coach. Hammon rewarded the Aces less than nine months later with the franchise’s first WNBA Championship.
The seeds for Hammon’s hiring were originally sewn when the Aces retired her jersey on September 13, 2021. That ceremony served as the culmination of the franchise’s 25th-anniversary alumni initiative, which saw the Aces embrace their Utah and San Antonio roots and celebrate the players who helped build the franchise and the league from the ground up.
Las Vegas Aces Assistant Coach
Last year, on November 7, 2024, Las Vegas Aces Head Coach Becky Hammon announced the hiring of Ty Ellis as an assistant coach for the Aces. After Ty’s appointment, Hammon told the media, “I’m super excited to add Ty Ellis to our coaching staff. He brings a wealth of experience both as a head coach and as an assistant from the NBA, G League, and international play. Not only is his energy palpable, but his character and work ethic are things I highly value.”
Las Vegas Aces Coaching Staff
The rest of the coaching staff of the Las Vegas Aces consists of the following members:
Assistant Coach | Charlene Thomas-Swinson |
Assistant Coach | Ty Ellis |
Assistant Coach | Larry Lewis |
Player Development Coach | John Lucas III |
Director of Health and Performance | Ciara Burgi |
Lead Rehabilitation Specialist | Jerrica Thomas |
Lead Athletic Trainer | Bryson Creer |
Las Vegas Aces – Owner
NFL legend Tom Brady joined Mark Davis as co-owner of the Las Vegas Aces in 2023, which gave a kickstart to the league. However, over the years, the Las Vegas Aces had many owners starting from scratch. The team was originally founded in 1997 by the great Larry H. Miller, who was also the owner of the NBA team Utah Jazz.
This association lasted until 2002. In 2003, the team was acquired by Peter Holt, owner of the San Antonio Spurs, who held the ownership until 2017 by the name of San Antonio Silver Stars. MGM Resorts International group then took over, owning the team from 2017 to 2021. In 2021, Mark Davis, the owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, became the new owner and relocated the team again.
Las Vegas Aces – Famous Players
The Las Vegas Aces have given such players to the WNBA, whose names are eternal. All of these players are powerhouses and still continue to put pressure on the opponent teams when it comes to the championship run each season.
Player Name | Retired/Active | Age | Country |
A’ja Wilson | Active | 28 | USA |
Kelsey Plum | Active | 30 | USA |
Chelsea Gray | Active | 32 | USA |
Liz Cambage | Retired | 33 | British born Australian |
Candace Parker | Retired | 38 | USA |
A’ja Wilson
The 6’5″ tall center A’ja Wilson plays for the Las Vegas Aces currently. She played college basketball at the South Carolina Gamecocks, where she was the main factor in leading the team to their first NCAA Women’s title in 2017. Also, in the WNBA world, she is assumed to be the highest-scoring center.
Wilson is a 2x WNBA champion in 2022 and 2023 and also earned the WNBA Finals MVP title in 2023. She was also named the WNBA MVP thrice in 2020, 2022 and 2024. In the 2024 regular season, she averaged 27.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in the first half of the season.
Kelsey Plum
The 5’8″ point guard and the no. 1 pick from the 2017 San Antonio Silver Stars has established her own identity with regular stacking of points on the scorecard. Her most renowned achievement for the Las Vegas Aces was when she achieved back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023 and won a gold medal in Women’s 3×3 basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
During the 2024 regular season, Kelsey Plum averaged 18.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 0.9 steals per game.
Chelsea Gray
Chelsea Gray is a champion athlete who won four WNBA Championships. Notably, two of these championships came with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and 2023. She was almost close enough to break Becky Hammon’s 192 assists(2011) with her 189 assists but just missed by three in the 2021 season.
Liz Cambage
Liz Cambage was a generational player who led the Aces to the semifinals in 2020, their first playoff appearance since 2014. She also helped the Aces compete for championships in 2020 and 2021.
Candace Parker
Candace Parker played for the Las Vegas Aces and contributed to the team’s success in 2023. She was a WNBA champion with the Aces in 2023 and the first player to win a WNBA championship with three different teams. Her fanbase is so robust that she made it to the WNBA All-Star games seven times!
Las Vegas Aces – Arena/Stadium
Michelob ULTRA Arena in Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino which is also called ‘The House,’ is the home arena of the Las Vegas Aces. It is a 12,000-capacity indoor arena with multipurpose services for the organizers. The casino is on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Its current owner is MGM Resorts International, who inaugurated it on April 10, 1999.
Las Vegas Aces Stats & Records:
The Aces took on many names under different ownerships. However, they got instant success as the Aces franchise. Here is a map of their plays through the years as per Basketball Reference data:
Year | Team | W/L% | Finish | Rivals | Coaches | Playoffs Result | Top WS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Las Vegas Aces | .675 | 2 | New York Liberty | Becky Hammon (27-13) | Lost Semis | A. Wilson (10.9) |
2023 | Las Vegas Aces | .850 | 1 | New York Liberty | Becky Hammon (34-6) | Won Finals | A. Wilson (10.4) |
2022 | Las Vegas Aces | .722 | 1 | Connecticut Sun | Becky Hammon (26-10) | Won Finals | A. Wilson (6.5) |
2021 | Las Vegas Aces | .750 | 1 | Phoenix Mercury | Bill Laimbeer (24-8) | Lost Semis | A. Wilson (5.7) |
2020 | Las Vegas Aces | .818 | 1 | Seattle Storm | Bill Laimbeer (18-4) | Lost Finals | A. Wilson (4.0) |
2019 | Las Vegas Aces | .618 | 2 | Washington Mystics | Bill Laimbeer (21-13) | Lost Semis | L. Cambage (4.1) |
2014 | San Antonio Stars | .471 | 3 | Minnesota Lynx | Dan Hughes (16-18) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | D. Robinson (2.9) |
2012 | San Antonio Silver Stars | .618 | 3 | Los Angeles Sparks | Dan Hughes (21-13) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | S. Young-Malcolm (5.8) |
2011 | San Antonio Silver Stars | .529 | 4 | Minnesota Lynx | Dan Hughes (18-16) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | B. Hammon (3.7) |
2010 | San Antonio Silver Stars | .412 | 3 | Phoenix Mercury | Sandy Brondello (14-20) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | M. Snow (3.2) |
2009 | San Antonio Silver Stars | .441 | 4 | Phoenix Mercury | Dan Hughes(15-19) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | B. Hammon (4.5) |
2008 | San Antonio Silver Stars | .706 | 1 | Detroit Shock | Dan Hughes (24-10) | Lost Finals | S. Young-Malcolm (6.2) |
2007 | San Antonio Silver Stars | .588 | 2 | Phoenix Mercury | Dan Hughes (20-14) | Lost W. Conf. Finals | S. Young-Malcolm (5.1) |
2002 | Utah Starzz | .625 | 3 | Los Angeles Sparks | Candi Harvey (20-12) | Lost W. Conf. Finals | M. Ferdinand-Harris (3.6) |
2001 | Utah Starzz | .594 | 3 | Sacramento Monarchs | Fred Williams (5-8), Candi Harvey (14-5) | Lost W. Conf. Semis | N. Williams (5.1) |
Las Vegas Aces Jersey & Logo
The Las Vegas Aces originated as the Utah Starzz in 1997 before relocating to San Antonio in 2003 to become the San Antonio Silver Stars. However, they moved to Las Vegas and were renamed the Las Vegas Aces in 2018. Originally, their team colors were black, red, and gold, but for the 2024 season, they switched to black and silver.
The team’s logo features a stylized “A” shaped like a diamond with an LV below, reflecting Las Vegas’ renowned gaming culture. The diamond shape represents growth and success in the logo. The team also uses a custom typeface called Light Oasis which is inspired by mid-century type styles and geometric forms.
Las Vegas Aces Retired Jersey
The Aces have retired only coach Becky Hammon’s #25 jersey on September 13, 2021. Originally, it was retired by the San Antonio Stars on June 25, 2016. The Aces retired Hammon’s jersey during halftime of their game against the Dallas Wings.
Las Vegas Aces Mascot
The Las Vegas Aces mascot is a black-tailed jackrabbit native of the Mojave Desert with origins in Utah and Texas. This furry creature hopped his way from the desert to Las Vegas in the Spring of 2018.
The basketball team adopted the rabbit and nicknamed him “BUCKET$” – a name fitting for the hare basketball team in the city of Las Vegas. BUCKET$ became the mascot and a symbol of good luck for the Aces. BUCKET$ earned his 3rd All-Star selection as a mascot in 2022 and was the WNBA’s Mascot of the Year as per Aces data.
Las Vegas Aces Rivalries
On a big scale, the Las Vegas Aces share a rivalry with the WNBA teams, Chicago Sky, and the New York Liberty. The Liberty eliminated the Aces in the WNBA Semifinals, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the second year in a row in 2024. That’s why their rivalry is considered the best in the league. The other reason this rivalry is a fan favorite is due to the fact that the Aces have gone one-to-one against the Liberty two times in the WNBA Finals.
Coming to the Aces-Sky rivalry, the former have had intense games against the Sky, with technical fouls and heated emotions. Once, the two teams even tied for the best league record in a single season.
Las Vegas Aces Instagram & Other Social Media
Las Vegas Aces have a 571K following on their Instagram profile that goes by the profile name @lvaces. The page of WNBA page has posted a number of 13,802 posts on their social media profile. The big reason that might be safe to assume on their social media profile is the way that the team celebrates every minute achievement of their players. Some off-the-court shenanigans and gallery chit-chats are also a major part of their social media profile. That’s why the team has so much following on many active platforms like Instagram.
Also Read: Know All About Los Angeles Sparks: Roster, Players, Owner, Coach and more
Las Vegas Aces Other Social Presence
Coming to the other social media presence of the Las Vegas Aces, the second spot for their following is X. On X, they have a handle titled @LVAces and have 149.1K following as the fans who keep themselves updated with the franchise’s feed. Usually, it consists of the event attending along with injury reports and other updates about the Las Vegas Aces players.
The Facebook handle of the Las Vegas Aces has a massive fanbase with about 582K followers, which is stunning considering the low popularity of Facebook as a social media platform nowadays. Yet the continuous quality feed of the Instagram content keeps their page numbers up. Along with these major social media platforms, the Las Vegas Aces are also on LinkedIn and YouTube for official matters and video content interaction. Its LinkedIn page has 7K followers, while its YouTube channel has a gigantic 80.7K subscribing.
The Las Vegas Aces are a powerhouse team in the WNBA, with a strong roster, a decorated coach, and a passionate fanbase. They continue to set records and remain dominant contenders in the league.
Who is the owner of Las Vegas Aces?
Mark Davis-Carol Davis, the NFL team Las Vegas Raiders owners, and NFL legend Tom Brady are the owners of the Las Vegas Aces team.
How much do the Las Vegas Aces players make?
The Las Vegas Aces players had a diverse salary cap table, with their salaries ranging from a minimum of $64,154 to $200,000 in 2024, according to Spotrac.
Where is Las Vegas Aces based?
Las Vegas Aces are based in Nevada, United States.
What is the Las Vegas Aces’ record?
In the 2024 season, the Las Vegas Aces had a 27-13 win-loss record with a 67.5 winning percentage.
Who is the Las Vegas Aces Coach?
Becky Hammon is the current coach of the Las Vegas Aces.
How many championships have Las Vegas Aces won?
Las Vegas Aces have won two consecutive championships in 2022 and 2023.
Who is Las Vegas Aces’ rival?
The New York Liberty and the Chicago Sky are rivals of the Las Vegas Aces WNBA basketball team.
Who is the most famous WNBA player from the Las Vegas Aces?
A’ja Wilson is the most famous WNBA player from the Las Vegas Aces.