The Las Vegas Aces have the makings of the next sports dynasty after winning their third WNBA championship in four seasons. The most notable dynasties in sports were built by teams like the New England Patriots, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Comets. After winning another title, the Aces and the Comets are the only teams to win three WNBA championships in four years. With Las Vegas establishing itself as the next dynasty, its winning formula is similar to those who came before.

The Aces' success is attributed to their superstar, A’ja Wilson. While helping her team win, she has built a legendary resume. With Wilson earning her second Finals MVP award, she is the first WNBA player or NBA player to win the scoring title, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same season. Wilson is also the first player to win four MVPs and two Defensive Player of the Year awards before turning 30 years old. In the last five years, she has averaged 22.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Like former Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, Wilson is a catalyst to the Aces' championship formula. She can lead her team to success each season and can take down her opponents in different ways. Whether Las Vegas wins or not, Wilson dedicates each offseason to improving her game and minimizing her weaknesses. Her dominance on the court and her leadership give the Aces a chance to win the championship every season. As Wilson continues to prove why she is one of the greatest WNBA players, her coach is a key reason why Las Vegas has put together a dynasty.

The Aces are led by their head coach, Becky Hammon. After becoming the head coach in 2022, she has excelled at developing each player on Las Vegas’ roster. Before joining the Aces, she learned under Hall-of-Fame coach Gregg Popovich, who won five championships for the Spurs. Although he had great players around him, Popovich won by beating other teams at their own game. One of his most notable moves was bringing basketball Hall-of-Famer Manu Ginobili off the bench when he was good enough to start on any other team. While Ginobili was willing to change his role, Popovich used his sacrifice as a part of his winning formula. Like her former mentor, Hammon found herself in a similar situation this season. 

Las Vegas acquired 2023 scoring leader Jewell Loyd from the Seattle Storm last offseason, adding firepower to the roster. After a 14-14 start to the season, Loyd volunteered to come off the bench for the first time in her 10-year career. To finish the regular season, the Aces won 18 games in a row, one shy of a WNBA record. While other factors contributed to their hot finish, Loyd’s adaptability and Hammon’s strategic move played a pivotal role. Along with Hammon’s different strategies, she helps all of her players realize their full potential and how that aids in success. While she has aided in unleashing Wilson’s potential, she isn’t the only one who has improved while learning under Hammon.

In 2022, the Aces won their first championship thanks, in part, to point guard Chelsea Gray. Nicknamed the “Point Gawd” because of her elite play-making and clutch performances, she elevated her game throughout the playoffs. In the 2022 postseason, Gray averaged 21.7 points, 7.0 assists, and 3.8 assists in 10 games. Her performances to lead Las Vegas to the championship made her worthy of winning Finals MVP. With numerous star players joining the Aces like Candace Parker and Alysha Clark in 2023, they were able to win another championship. The star power worked as a luxury for Las Vegas, as they never had one definitive x-factor for any opponent to key in on when facing them. In the 2023 Finals, Gray suffered a fractured leg, and it took a while for her to return to her old self. After losing in the 2024 playoffs, the Las Vegas dynasty seemed to be over. However, a forgotten piece of the Aces' championship puzzle finally emerged under Hammon’s tutelage.

Through all the star acquisitions that Las Vegas has made, Jackie Young has been a forgotten player on the scouting report. This season, she was on a mission to make her opponents remember her impact on a championship team. In the 2025 postseason, she averaged a career-high 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and a career-high 1.5 steals in 12 games. Because Young is starring in her role, she is joining Wilson and Gray to form one of the best “big threes” in WNBA history. Another benefit of Hammon’s coaching is getting the most out of Las Vegas’ “others” that complement the big three with their unique individual skill set.

This season, Loyd wasn’t the only new piece to join the Aces. They also signed Dana Evans in the offseason and acquired Nalyssa Smith from the Dallas Wings in a mid-season trade. When Las Vegas had games where they couldn’t buy a basket, Evans’ scoring was important to keeping the team afloat. This season, she averaged 6.6 points, 2.2 assists, and shot 36.6% from three-point land. Although her impact isn’t reflected in her stats, Evans’ teammates recognize what she brought. After the Aces' 89-86 Game 1 win in the WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury, in which Evans scored 21 points and made five three-pointers, Wilson described what her performance meant for the team.

“[Evans] needed a game like this,” Wilson told ESPN in the postgame interview. “She is someone that’s like the battery [of the team]. She puts the battery in our back and makes us go at a different pace and a different speed, and we go as she goes.”

Smith has fit right next to Wilson in the front court since the acquisition. Since the trade, she averaged 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Like Evans, she has had impacts in individual games this season, notably in the WNBA semi-finals. In Las Vegas’ 90-68 Game 2 win against the Indiana Fever, Smith finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and one steal. While dynasties are created behind the franchise’s star player and head coach, the ability for role players to do their part is key for sustained success.

All paths to a championship are far from easy in any sport. The great teams like the Aces, however, make them look easy at times. As they constantly face different kinds of adversity, they overcome it by playing for each other. After a championship-clinching win against the Mercury, Hammon spoke about the joys of coaching the Aces.

"I love being [the Aces'] coach," Hammon said after Las Vegas' 97-86 Game 4 win. "...I like pushing them to their disliking a little bit, but I'm invested in their greatness and getting that out of them every day."

With the Aces winning their third championship in four years, it's safe to say the next great sports dynasty resides in Sin City.