The Paris Olympics has wrapped up, and it was nothing but a mission accomplished for Team USA, but now the players will be back to their WNBA franchises as the league resumes on August 15. While every squad will be aiming to elevate their game, all eyes are on the Las Vegas Aces as they strive for their third consecutive championship. Yet, former legend Sheryl Swoopes remains doubtful about how A’ja Wilson and her team will perform moving forward.

In a recent episode of the ‘Queens of the Court’ podcast, Sheryl Swoopes joined Jordan Robinson to talk about the upcoming second half of the WNBA season. While they discussed how teams will be looking to make a strong start, Swoopes highlighted a potential issue she thinks the Las Vegas Aces might face. “The Las Vegas Aces have four players in the Olympics. And I know, like, A’ja has been playing out of her mind, but they’re tired. You had four players in the Olympics, and there are four players who are a huge part of why you are so good, right?” said Swoopes on Queens of the Court.

Team USA’s gold medal victory was bolstered by four standout players from the Las Vegas Aces: A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray. While Wilson led by being the highest scorer, Gray, Young, and Plum made substantial contributions, averaging 14, 19, and 15 minutes per game, respectively. Swoopes also stated,

“As a coach, where do you find time and a place to give those players some rest?” 

However, resting these players can be a concern; it might not affect them a lot, as Jordan Robinson pointed out:

“The Aces don’t have a game this week. So, that worked out in their favor.” Wilson and company will resume the league on Sunday against the Los Angeles Sparks, so the players might get enough time to relax before hopping on the court. Now, let’s take a look at how effective these four players have been for the Aces.

The key players for the Aces on their road to three-peat glory

The Las Vegas Aces, currently sitting in fifth place, face a tough road ahead if they want to achieve their three-peat goal. Much of their success hinges on A’ja Wilson, their standout player. Wilson has been exceptional this season, averaging 27.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Her impact was also significant in their previous championships, where she averaged 22.8 points in 2023 and 19.5 points in 2022. However, there are other names on the roster who have been crucial for the Aces.

The 26-year-old guard, Jackie Young, impressed everyone with her Olympic performance, averaging 9.5 points per game. But that shouldn’t be surprising, as she already holds decent stats for the Aces in the WNBA. She has averaged 18.5 points with 5.6 assists per game in the ongoing season. It will be important to see if she continues to shine after international duty. Another Team USA player, Kelsey Plum, has been significant for the Aces in the past three seasons. She has averaged 19.3 points per game overall in the last three years.

Chelsea Gray was the fourth Aces player to compete in the Olympics, but she hasn’t had the same impact on the team this season, appearing in only 11 games with an average of 7.3 points. In contrast, she was a regular starter last season, averaging 15.3 points per game. It’ll be interesting to see how these players adjust after their international duties and how the Aces balance rest and utilization to maximize their performance moving forward.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show.” Our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.