Las Vegas Aces facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Las Vegas Aces
Conference	Western
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	1997
History	Utah Starzz 1997–2002 San Antonio Silver Stars 2003–2013 San Antonio Stars 2014–2017 Las Vegas Aces 2018–present
Arena	Michelob Ultra Arena
Location	Paradise, Nevada
Team colors	Black, silver, white
Main sponsor	Ally Financial
President	Nikki Fargas
General manager	Vacant
Head coach	Becky Hammon
Assistant(s)	Tyrone Ellis Charlene Thomas-Swinson Larry Lewis
Ownership	Mark & Carol Davis (majority) Tom Brady (minority)
Championships	2 (2022, 2023)
Conference titles	1 (2008)
Commissioner's Cup titles	1 (2022)
Retired numbers	1 (25)

The Las Vegas Aces are a professional basketball team for women in the United States. They play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Michelob Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The Aces are famous for winning the WNBA championship in both 2022 and 2023. This made them the first team to win two championships in a row in over 20 years! They also won the 2022 WNBA Commissioner's Cup.

The team started in Salt Lake City as the Utah Starzz in 1997. It later moved to San Antonio in 2003 and became the San Antonio Silver Stars. In 2014, the name was shortened to the San Antonio Stars. The team then moved to Las Vegas in 2018 and became the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces are owned by Mark and Carol Davis, who also own the Las Vegas Raiders football team, and Tom Brady.

The team has had many talented players throughout its history. These include Becky Hammon, Sophia Young, Margo Dydek, Dearica Hamby, and A'ja Wilson. The franchise has reached the WNBA Finals four times. They played in 2008, 2020, 2022, and 2023. They won the championships in 2022 and 2023.

Team History

From Utah to San Antonio

The team began as one of the first eight WNBA teams. It was founded in 1997 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Utah Starzz Era (1997–2002)

The team was first known as the Utah Starzz. They were named partly after an old basketball team called the Utah Stars. The Starzz had a tough start, often finishing near the bottom of the league. In 1998, they picked Margo Dydek, who was the tallest player in WNBA history at 7 feet 2 inches.

The Starzz made it to the playoffs for the first time in 2001. They reached the Western Conference Semifinals. In 2002, they made it to the playoffs again. They won their first playoff series against the Houston Comets. However, their playoff journey ended when they lost to the Los Angeles Sparks.

The San Antonio Silver Stars Era (2003–2017)

After the 2002 season, the team's owners in Utah decided not to keep the Starzz. The team was then sold to Peter Holt, who owned the San Antonio Spurs. The team moved to San Antonio and was renamed the San Antonio Silver Stars. Their team colors changed to silver and black, like the Spurs.

For the first few years in San Antonio, the team struggled. But in 2007, they made big changes. They added star players like Becky Hammon, Ruth Riley, and Sandora Irvin. These new players helped the Silver Stars become a strong team. They made the playoffs for the first time since moving to San Antonio. They reached the Western Finals but lost to the Phoenix Mercury.

In 2008, the Silver Stars were a top team. They finished with the best record in the Western Conference. They made it to the WNBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Shock. The team continued to make the playoffs in some years but faced challenges. They were often defeated in the early rounds. In 2014, their name was shortened to the San Antonio Stars.

Moving to Las Vegas

After the 2017 season, the team was put up for sale. It was clear the team would move to a new city. MGM Resorts International bought the team in October 2017. They planned to move it to Las Vegas. The team would play at the Michelob Ultra Arena.

A New Home and Championships

The club's first Las Vegas-era logo, used from 2017 to 2024.

On December 11, 2017, the team was officially named the Las Vegas Aces. They received the first pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft and chose A'ja Wilson from South Carolina.

In January 2021, Mark Davis and his mother Carol, who own the Las Vegas Raiders, bought the team from MGM. The league approved the purchase in February 2021. Soon after, a new training facility for the Aces was built in Henderson, Nevada. This facility, completed in April 2023, is the first built just for a WNBA team. It has practice courts, offices, and training areas.

In December 2021, Becky Hammon was hired as head coach. She became the highest-paid coach in the WNBA. During the 2022 season, the Aces had an amazing run. They won against the Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm in the playoffs. Then, they defeated the Connecticut Sun in the 2022 WNBA Finals. This was the franchise's first championship and the first professional sports championship for Las Vegas.

On March 23, 2023, it was announced that former NFL quarterback Tom Brady bought a small share of the team. The Aces then defended their WNBA Championship in 2023, winning against the New York Liberty. This made them back-to-back champions!

On March 6, 2024, the Aces showed off new uniforms. They now use a silver and black color scheme, just like the Raiders. The team also sold out its season tickets for the 2024 season. This was the first time a WNBA team had ever sold out all its season tickets. In May 2024, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority offered a special sponsorship to each player on the Aces team. The WNBA later looked into these sponsorships to ensure they followed league rules. In the 2024 playoffs, the Aces won their first-round series but were defeated in the semifinals. For the 2025 season, the Aces won their first-round playoff series and are currently playing in the semifinals.

Players

Current roster

Las Vegas Aces roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs C 8 Cambage, Liz 6' 8" (2.03m) 216 lb (98kg) 08-18-1991 Australia 4 G 12 Gray, Chelsea 5' 11" (1.8m) 170 lb (77kg) 10-08-1992 Duke 6 F 5 Hamby, Dearica 6' 3" (1.91m) 189 lb (86kg) 11-06-1993 Wake Forest 6 G/F 35 McCoughtry, Angel  6' 1" (1.85m) 173 lb (78kg) 09-10-1986 Louisville 11 C 19 Ji-su, Park 6' 5" (1.96m) 206 lb (93kg) 12-06-1998 South Korea 2 G 10 Plum, Kelsey 5' 8" (1.73m) 145 lb (66kg) 08-24-1994 Washington 3 G 24 Slocum, Destiny 5' 6" (1.68m) 157 lb (71kg) 09-09-1997 Arkansas R C 41 Stokes, Kiah 6' 3" (1.91m) 191 lb (87kg) 03-30-1993 Connecticut 5 G 2 Williams, Riquna 5' 6" (1.68m) 165 lb (75kg) 05-28-1990 Miami (FL) 8 F 22 Wilson, A'ja 6' 4" (1.93m) 195 lb (88kg) 08-08-1996 South Carolina 3 G 0 Young, Jackie 6' 0" (1.83m) 165 lb (75kg) 09-16-1997 Notre Dame 2	Head coach Bill Laimbeer (Notre Dame) Assistant coaches Tanisha Wright (Penn State) Vanessa Nygaard (Stanford) Sugar Rodgers (Georgetown) Athletic trainer Michelle Anumba Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured   WNBA roster page
East ATL CHI CON IND NY WAS West DAL LV LA MIN PHO SEA

Retired numbers

Coaches and Staff

Owners

• Larry H. Miller (1997–2002)
• Peter Holt (2003–2017)
• MGM Resorts International (2017–2021)
• Mark Davis (2021–2023)
• Mark Davis and Tom Brady (2023–present)

Head coaches

• Denise Taylor (1997–1998)
• Frank Layden (1998–1999)
• Fred Williams (1999–2001)
• Candi Harvey (2001–2003)
• Shell Dailey (2003–2004)
• Dee Brown (2003–2004)
• Dan Hughes (2005–2010, 2011–2016)
• Sandy Brondello (2010)
• Vickie Johnson (2017)
• Bill Laimbeer (2017–2021)
• Becky Hammon (2021–Present)

Media Coverage

You can watch Aces games on TV and listen on the radio. Local TV rights for the Aces are held by KMCC. Some games are also shown nationally on channels like ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Ion Television, Prime Video, CBS, and CBS Sports Network. On the radio, you can listen to Aces games locally on KWWN ESPN Las Vegas.

See also

In Spanish: Las Vegas Aces para niños