The WNBA veteran Sheryl Swoopes is known for her brutal honesty. Whether it is the Caitlin Clark episode, or speaking about Stephen A. Smith and Nancy Lieberman, Swoopes doesn’t shy away from having tough conversations, which sometimes earns her flak. She went as far as revealing her private texts with Clark, which added to the authenticity of her takes, only for the fans to understand that she doesn’t like creating controversy just for the sake of it but being opinionated is something that gets her in trouble. And the Hall of Famer did the same while re-accessing the Las Vegas Aces three-peat dream.

Swoopes acknowledged that the Aces are a formidable team that needs to groom well this season. And hearing her statements, the WNBA fans contemplated the Aces’ journey so far this season. “I don’t see the same hunger from this team that I saw last year. From someone who’s been there, I don’t see it. But I’m not saying they can’t get there,” Swoopes stated on Tuesday via the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The Aces are going for a three-peat after winning the Championship title in the last two seasons. 2022 was the first year for Becky Hammon as the head coach of the Aces, who were in a rebuilding phase. Wilson & Co. had a winning percentage of 0.722% and occupied the top spot in the WNBA rankings. Owing to a strong defense, they whitewashed the Phoenix Mercury to advance to the semi-finals where they dealt huge blows to the Seattle Storm and lastly, they trumped the Connecticut Sun to get hold of the Championship title.

Going into the next year, the Aces formed a strong bench including Sydney Colson. They even added Kiah Stokes to their lineup, who had been a mainstay during the 2022 season. They again topped the WNBA charts, this time with a 0.850% winning percentage. And it ultimately concluded with the Aces taking home the Championship title after defeating the Liberty by a 3-1 tally. However, their campaign so far has lacked the excellence that their fans were used to previously.

A’ja Wilson’s Las Vegas Aces lack the spectacular efforts they put in the first two title wins

Coming into the 2024 WNBA season, Wilson’s Aces lacked the same passion, according to Swoopes. And why wouldn’t she say this? The Aces had the task of taking their team to another title. However, their main player Chelsea Gray had been missing in the first 12 games due to a foot injury. Next when Wilson was given the onus she performed exceptionally well, but at the same time, her teammates did not respond the way it was expected. So when Gray made a comeback, she too, contrary to expectations, started struggling in the W.

The result of this is that the Aces have a 0.647% winning percentage, which is significantly lower than their previous two seasons. Moreover, this time the Aces are placed at the fourth spot in the W rankings. All this has culminated in the Aces lacking the performances that make one a champion. And with Wilson’s injury, the wound has only deepened.

Hopefully, now that Swoopes has given a reality check, the Aces will try their best to give their 100%. And perhaps with a fit Wilson in the near games, the Las Vegas franchise will make a stunning comeback.