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
Ownership	Mark & Carol Davis (majority) Tom Brady (minority)
Championships	2 (2022, 2023)
Conference titles	4 (2008, 2020, 2022, 2023)
Commissioner's Cup titles	1 (2022)
Retired numbers	1 (25)

The Las Vegas Aces are a professional basketball team in the United States. They play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team is part of the league's Western Conference. Their home games are played at Michelob Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada.

The Aces have won two WNBA Championships. They won in 2022 and again in 2023. This made them the first team to win back-to-back championships since 2001-2002. They also won the 2022 WNBA Commissioner's Cup.

The team started in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1997. Back then, they were called the Utah Starzz. Later, they moved to San Antonio, Texas, in 2003. There, they were known as the San Antonio Silver Stars. In 2014, their name changed to the San Antonio Stars. Finally, the team moved to Las Vegas in 2018.

The Aces are owned by Mark and Carol Davis. They also own the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders. Famous football player Tom Brady is also a part-owner. The team has had many great players. These include Becky Hammon, Sophia Young, and A'ja Wilson. The Aces have played in the WNBA Finals four times. They won in 2022 and 2023.

Team History

The Utah Starzz (1997–2002)

The Utah Starzz were one of the first eight teams in the WNBA. They started playing in 1997. In 1998, they picked Margo Dydek in the WNBA draft. She was 7 feet 2 inches tall, making her the tallest player in WNBA history.

The Starzz made it to the playoffs for the first time in 2001. They lost in the first round. In 2002, they reached the Western Conference Finals. However, they were defeated by the Los Angeles Sparks.

The San Antonio Silver Stars/Stars (2002–2017)

After the 2002 season, the Utah Starzz team was sold. It moved to San Antonio and became the San Antonio Silver Stars. The team's colors changed to silver and black.

In 2007, the Silver Stars got new star players. These included Becky Hammon and Ruth Riley. They quickly became a strong team. They made it to the playoffs that year. In 2008, the Silver Stars had the best record in the Western Conference. They reached the WNBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Shock.

The team continued to make the playoffs in the following years. However, they often lost in the early rounds. In 2014, their name was shortened to the San Antonio Stars.

Moving to Las Vegas (2018–Present)

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

After the 2017 season, the team was sold again. It moved to Las Vegas and became the Las Vegas Aces. This move was approved in October 2017. The team would play at the Michelob Ultra Arena.

In the 2018 WNBA Draft, the Aces had the first pick. They chose A'ja Wilson from South Carolina. On January 14, 2021, Mark Davis bought the team. He also owns the Las Vegas Raiders.

In 2021, Nikki Fargas became the team president. On December 31, 2021, Becky Hammon was hired as head coach. She became the highest-paid coach in the WNBA. In 2022, the Aces won their first WNBA Championship. They beat the Connecticut Sun in four games. This was the first professional sports championship for Las Vegas.

On March 23, 2023, Tom Brady bought a small part of the team. The Aces then won the WNBA Championship again in 2023. They beat the New York Liberty. This made them back-to-back champions.

In March 2024, the Aces showed off new uniforms. They now use silver and black colors, like the Raiders. They also sold out all their season tickets for 2024. This was a first for the league.

Recently, in May 2024, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) offered each player on the 2024 team a $100,000 sponsorship. The WNBA is looking into these sponsorships.

Season Records

The table below shows how the team has performed each season. It includes their wins, losses, and playoff results.

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

The Aces have retired one jersey number to honor a special player.

Coaches and Staff

Owners

• Larry H. Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz (1997–2002)
• Peter Holt, owner of the San Antonio Spurs (2003–2017)
• MGM Resorts International (2017–2021)
• Mark Davis (2021–2023)
• Mark Davis and Tom Brady (2023–present)

Head Coaches

Media Coverage

You can watch Aces games on TV and listen on the radio.

• Local TV: KVVU-TV shows at least ten games. Other games are on the Silver State Sports and Entertainment Network.
• National TV: Some games are shown on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Ion Television, CBS, and the CBS Sports Network.
• Radio: You can listen to Aces games locally on KWWN ESPN Las Vegas.

See also

In Spanish: Las Vegas Aces para niños