Everything you need to know about the Las Vegas Aces, A'ja Wilson's new team
A'ja Wilson is now officially a member of the Las Vegas Aces after being selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft.
But South Carolina supporters, and even some WNBA fans, may not be completely familiar with the Aces, the newest name in the league. The franchise is set to begin its inaugural season in Las Vegas this summer after moving from San Antonio in the offseason.
So, here are all the essentials Gamecock fans need to know about Las Vegas, how Wilson will fit in there and when she and her new teammates will face teams with other USC alums or within driving distance of South Carolina.
New coach: This offseason, the Aces hired former NBA star and New York Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer to take over as head coach and president of basketball operations for the revamped team. Laimbeer first earned notoriety as a member of the "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s. As a WNBA coach, he has accumulated a 229-171 record over 13 seasons, including three championships and nine postseason appearances.
What Laimbeer has said about A'ja: "You don't get many players that can drive like she can. She can attack the basket and with one dribble cover a tremendous amount of ground. It says something when you have a player of that size take the ball out of bounds all the time, where the trust factor is there for her to make the right pass. She's also the player who comes back to get the ball and the outlet pass whether it's to press break or get the ball in because she's going to make the right decisions."
New teammates: The Aces keep their roster from when they were the San Antonio Stars, including last year's No. 1 overall pick, former Washington guard Kelsey Plum. They also have 2016's No. 2 overall pick and an All-Rookie selection in former Connecticut point guard Moriah Jefferson and WNBA All-Star guard Kayla McBride, a former All-American with Notre Dame.
Those three players, along with Wilson, will likely form the core around which the Aces hope to build a playoff team. In terms of frontcourt running mates, Wilson will likely play alongside Isabelle Harrison, who had a breakout season last year, averaging more than 11 points and six rebounds per game, and newly-signed free agent Ivey Slaughter.
However, expect Wilson to play right away and likely be a key contributor for Las Vegas, assuming she stays healthy.
New arena: If fans decide to travel to Las Vegas to watch Wilson in action with her new team, they'll get to see her in action right along the famous Las Vegas Strip — the Aces are owned by MGM Resorts International, who has announced the team will play in Mandalay Bay Events Center, right on Las Vegas Boulevard.
How to watch on TV: The WNBA will be on ESPN2 13 times during the regular season, including Las Vegas' matchup with the New York Liberty on June 22. The league will also air games on NBA TV and stream 20 games exclusively on Twitter, but those contests have yet to be announced.
Key games: For South Carolina fans, these are the Las Vegas Aces games that matter most — they're either career milestones for Wilson, within driving distance of the Palmetto State (roughly seven hours at the most) or against teams with fellow USC alums Allisha Gray, Kaela Davis, Tiffany Mitchell and Alaina Coates.
A full schedule for the Aces is available here.
May 6 — Chinese national team, preseason (first preseason game)
May 13 — at Dallas Wings, preseason (Allisha Gray, Kaela Davis)
May 20 — at Connecticut Sun (first regular season game)
May 22 — at Washington Mystics (driving distance)
June 3 — at Chicago Sky (Alaina Coates)
June 12 — at Indiana Fever (Tiffany Mitchell)
June 15 — at Dallas Wings (Allisha Gray, Kaela Davis)
June 27 — vs. Dallas Wings (Allisha Gray, Kaela Davis)
July 5 — vs. Chicago Sky (Alaina Coates)
July 22 — vs. Indiana Fever (Tiffany Mitchell)
Aug. 3 — at Washington Mystics (driving distance)
Aug. 7 — at Atlanta Dream (driving distance)
Aug. 11 — vs. Indiana Fever (Tiffany Mitchell)
Aug. 17 — at Dallas Wings (Allisha Gray, Kaela Davis)
New jerseys: The Aces, like every other WNBA team, are getting new uniforms this season as Nike takes over as the league's official apparel company. Those uniforms were revealed before the draft Thursday.
This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Everything you need to know about the Las Vegas Aces, A'ja Wilson's new team."