“I still kind of have the disgust feeling of losing last year,” Aces center A’ja Wilson has said ahead of the 2025 season. Wilson’s words might suggest they had a below par season, but no. They fell just one step short of the final, losing in the semifinals against the New York Liberty. That is the standard for A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces. Dominating the team stats as well as the league stats, Wilson had a season to remember.

Topping every metric for the Aces except assists per game, she led in points and blocks per game across the WNBA. When it comes to rebounds, only Angel Reese had more. The Aces, going for their third straight title, just ran out of steam with injuries and off-court controversies surrounding them all season. There has been growing curiosity regarding the future of Kiah Stokes, who has been a vital part of the Aces for years, but this national analyst reckons her time has run out.

While talking about the potential squad for the Aces, Jackie Powell said on Locked on Women’s Basketball, “You also include Stokes, who I would argue probably shouldn’t be in the roster, but that’s me, but she will probably make the team.”  The statistics seemingly don’t support Powell, as Stokes has been essential on defense. She had the second-best defensive rebounds and blocks per game, behind only Wilson. Although she played just 18.4 minutes per game, her contribution on defense were very important for the team. The question is, therefore, are the newcomers so much better than Stokes?

The Aces’ largest offseason move was the three-team trade that brought guard Jewell Loyd from the Seattle Storm in a deal that sent former Aces cornerstone Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Aces traded with the Chicago Sky for guard Dana Evans and acquired free agents Tiffany Mitchell and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. They have Elizabeth Kitley coming in after an injury, who could replace Stokes as a backup center. Powell and Tony East are in support of Kitley and feel she is good enough to do the job for them. Remember, the Aces signed her despite the injury, so there must have been something they saw.

East sympathized with Kitley as she suffered a major injury in her last year of college ball, saying, “It just sucks to tear your ACL during your senior college season and, like, have it make your draft on your rookie year, in quotes; obviously, you shouldn’t play. It just ruins a very key time of, like, human growth on top of your basketball growth So, human interest story, go Liz Kelly.”   

After that season, she would receive the ACC Player of the Year Award, completing a three-peat. She was the first Virginia Tech women’s basketball player to have her jersey number retired in the 21st century as the Hokies retired her iconic No. 33. Her legacy in college ball is bar none, but her jump to the WNBA was delayed, as Powell opined she would be better suited for this side.

She said, “I think they need someone who can space for A’Ja. Kitley can hit those midrange jumpers. I think she can hit some threes, not a lot, but I think she is more competent offensively than Kia Stokes. And so that’s what they are looking for. They need some pressure off A’Ja Wilson.”  Stokes’ offensive output has been one of the worst on the team, and Kitley could certainly be better. Her injury history is still a matter of concern as to whether Kitley 2.0 will be as effective as before. On offense, she could take some load off A’ja, who has been the lioness of the jungle, so to speak.

Wilson is coming off a legendary season where her performance was off the charts. She did everything but win that ring. Now, they need others to step up and contribute their share. It still remains a mystery whether Kitley can come back from her injury and be the same player that she was before.  Kitley, Wilson, Gustafson, and Stokes remain the four centers on the roster, with six players remaining to be cut. It is unlikely that Stokes will leave, considering her legacy and experience. That, however, could also have been said about Kelsey Plum, until the big trade.

Why did Kelsey Plum leave the Aces?

One of the biggest moves of the WNBA offseason was longtime Las Vegas Aces star guard Kelsey Plum getting traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in a three-team trade. Plum was a longtime veteran for the Aces and was the second-most efficient scorer. So why did she leave a well-settled unit for a struggling team like the Los Angeles Sparks?

While this was a trade rather than Plum signing through free agency, it seems clear that she had a say in which franchise she was going to. “With all due respect, we finished last last year, so everything that we did last year was thrown out the window,” Plum said of the Sparks in the article. “I was brought here for a reason.” She later added, “It’s the turn of a new leaf in a lot of different ways, in leadership and investment in the franchise. That’s why I decided to come here.”

She’s transitioning from a 27-win team and a WNBA semifinal appearance to a squad that finished with just eight wins and finished last in the league. It will need a monumental turnaround from Plum. While she is on her way to rebuild Sparks, her former franchise will aim for the title once again.