Aces Drop Home Opener to Phoenix 99-66

The rings were beautiful.

The Las Vegas Aces received their 2025 WNBA championship rings in front of one of the loudest, most energized crowds I've seen in that building. The fans came out dressed, loud, and ready to send their champions off into a new season. The energy during that ring ceremony was something special. Vegas showed up and showed out for their team and that needs to be acknowledged. But then the game tipped off and the Phoenix Mercury came in and took care of business walking out of T-Mobile Arena with a 99-66 victory on the Aces home floor. It was one of those days where nothing clicked, and Phoenix made them pay for every mistake.

Photo Credit: Tyler Leavitt

What went wrong

The Aces shot just 40.8 percent from the field and a painful 21.1 percent from three. Seventeen turnovers. They never got to the free throw line in the second quarter not once while Phoenix went 3 for 4. The Mercury opened the second quarter on a 13-2 run that essentially put the game away by halftime. By the third quarter the Aces were shooting 21.1 percent from the field and the deficit had ballooned to 38 points.

Phoenix was just better today. Six players in double figures led by Alyssa Thomas with 20 and Jovana Nogic with 19. They shot 49.4 percent from the field, 45.8 percent from three, and 80 percent from the free throw line. The Mercury came ready to play and the Aces did not match that energy simple as that.

The bright spots

A'ja Wilson led the Aces with 19 points and four rebounds. She now has 2,498 career rebounds and is just two away from becoming the 12th player in WNBA history with at least 5,500 points and 2,500 rebounds. Even on a rough night she's making history.

Jackie Young added 12 points, NaLyssa Smith chipped in 11, and Chennedy Carter came off the bench to lead all scorers in the fourth quarter with 10 points. The Aces shot 58.8 percent in the fourth That's the version of this team I need to see from the jump next time.

What A'ja and Coach Becky said

The tone after the game was exactly what you'd expect from a championship program that has been through adversity before honest, accountable, and not the least bit panicked.

A'ja Wilson wasn't making excuses. "We're still finding ourselves. I think that's the beauty of this league and the beauty of our team we never want to stay stagnant." That's a four-time MVP who knows exactly what this team is capable of and knows one bad game doesn't define them.

Coach Becky Hammon was equally measured. "The goal doesn't change. It's about the daily habits and the work we put in when the cameras aren't on. We have a veteran group that understands what it takes to stay at the top, and that leadership is invaluable." She's been here before and she knows how to get this group right.

My take

I'm not going to panic after one game. I refuse. This is a championship roster that has been through way more than a rough opener. The turnovers, the cold shooting, the defensive breakdowns all of that is correctable. What concerns me more is the energy coming out of the gate. Phoenix set a tone early and the Aces never matched it. That cannot happen again.

The good news? They get back on the floor immediately. The Aces travel to Los Angeles to take on the Sparks Sunday at 3pm on ION and The Spot Vegas 34. Back to back game on the road against a team Her Game Network covers closely.

Final: Phoenix Mercury 99, Las Vegas Aces 66

Box score highlights