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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
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ChasingRatDogmaSalade
Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Posts: 590
Location: Las Vegas, NV
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 Posted: 05/14/24 10:30 am ::: |
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LAS VEGAS (May 13, 2024)—The Aces' quest for history and a "three-peat" championship begins Tuesday, May 14 at Michelob ULTRA Arena when Las Vegas hosts the Phoenix Mercury at 7 pm PT on ESPN2. The Aces will receive their 2023 world championship rings and raise the 2023 championship banner to the rafters in pregame ceremonies.
Las Vegas' 2023 season was one for the ages as it became the first WNBA team to repeat as champions in more than 20 years. The Aces set the league record for wins in a season (34) in the process and rolled through the postseason with an 8-1 mark, upending the New York Liberty three games to one in the WNBA Finals. In the title-clinching Game 4, Las Vegas found itself without two starters in point gawd Chelsea Gray and center Kiah Stokes, both of whom were injured in Game 3. The Aces were also without the services of future Hall of Fame center/forward Candace Parker, who missed the final 22 games of the regular season and the entire postseason with an injury.
The Aces led the WNBA in both offensive (113.0) and defensive efficiency (97.7) in 2023, becoming just the 8th team in league history to do so. They set the league record in offensive efficiency, and nearly became the first team in the 27-year history of the W to lead the league in all four shooting percentages, finishing first in field goal percentage (.486), 2-point field goal percentage (.549) and free throw percentage (.840), while finishing second in 3-point field goal percentage to New York (.372 to .374).
Las Vegas' 2024 roster has a few additions and subtractions from the 2023 version. Three-time WNBA champion and two-time MVP Parker announced her retirement just prior to the start of training camp. During free agency, the Aces added 2019 NCAA Player of the Year Megan Gustafson. The 6-5 center has made 53.3% of her field goal attempts and 39.1% of her 3s over the past her past two seasons in Phoenix. In the draft, Las Vegas picked up a pair of guards in Syracuse's Dyaisha Fair, the third-leading scorer in NCAA history, and Iowa's Kate Martin, a two-time NCAA Championship Game participant, who averaged 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds, while connecting 37% of her 3-pointers as a senior.
The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2023 season with a league-worst 9-31 record despite the return of center Brittney Griner. Last year, Diana Taurasi became the first player in WNBA history to score 10,000 or more points in a career, and she returns for her 20th season a pro.
In the offseason, the Merc signed point guard Natasha Cloud and forward/center Rebecca Allen, while trading for Kahleah Copper. Cloud is a two-time WNBA All-Defensive Team selection who has ranked in the top five in the league in assists per game in each of her last four seasons. Allen brings a career 3-point shooting percentage of 36.4 to the Mercury over her eight years in the W. Copper averaged 16.2 points and 4.8 rebounds over her last four seasons in Chicago. Phoenix also hired a new head coach in 12-year veteran NBA assistant coach Nate Tibbetts.
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010
Posts: 9724
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| Posted: 05/14/24 9:03 pm ::: |
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| That ring was so big it seems like it needs a prefix for ring.
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johnjohnW
Joined: 11 Aug 2020
Posts: 1886
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| Posted: 05/14/24 9:09 pm ::: |
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| Mack with a few nice boards.
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mercfan3
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
Posts: 67058
Location: Where the action is
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| Posted: 05/14/24 9:46 pm ::: |
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| mercfan3 wrote: |
| I think Phx left their defense at home |
She's out with a toe injury
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mercfan3
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 05/14/24 10:19 pm ::: |
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Honestly, Mack seems like a quality backup center.
She might be our second best player off the bench.
Edit: not upset at this loss at all.
Great game.
I like Coach Girl Dad, Vibes are good with him. Also adjustments and rotations were good too.
It’s gonna be interesting to see what type of shots Diana gets, now that the other team is going to have to guard more than two people.
If Brit and DT get/stay healthy, I’m very hopeful with this team. I know the Aces were missing Chelsea, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how close this game was without Brit.
On another note, imo A’ja is the clear best player in the world.
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Last edited by mercfan3 on 05/14/24 11:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005
Posts: 8254
Location: Heisenberg
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| Posted: 05/14/24 11:14 pm ::: |
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| Diana "Too Old" Taurasi!!!!!!! |
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TotalCardinalMove
Joined: 13 Oct 2013
Posts: 1467
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| Posted: 05/15/24 12:48 am ::: |
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If Sophie and Bec are going to have to guard opposing bigs in crunch time then this will be a long season. PF is a glaring weakness for this team, Mack and Herbert Harrigan won’t be able to contain the best bigs in the league. It’s not really fair for Cunningham and Allen to have that responsibility if Mack and Herbert-Harrigan can’t. BG being out played a part but she cannot be the only post that can consistently score. Really missed having Gustafson.
Not a fan of Sutton garnering so many minutes. She still seems turnover prone and her decision making is still questionable. Overall, really solid effort.
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calbearman76
Joined: 02 Nov 2009
Posts: 5167
Location: Carson City
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| Posted: 05/15/24 12:57 am ::: |
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| Las Vegas showed why they are the best team in the league for about 9:50 in the first quarter. But after they ran out to a 29-11 lead, they stopped playing defense. Aja Wilson scored 17 points (7-9 FG) in the 1st qtr., but was only 3-13 the rest of the way. They can get away with this against Phoenix but that won't work against the better teams. Perhaps Chelsea Gray will be able to stop the Aces from disappearing for so long but this was really a poor effort.
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Richyyy
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 24401
Location: London
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| Posted: 05/15/24 9:43 am ::: |
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| ChasingRatDogmaSalade wrote: |
| 2023 world championship rings... |
For winning the Women's National Basketball Association. I know the Aces like to push the "Us against the World!" narrative but this still annoys me. They're just not. You didn't win the world championship. You're an exceptional team, who won back-to-back titles in a league where that hadn't been done for over 20 years. Why declare yourselves as something you're clearly not and frankly detract from the actual achievement? It's dumb. |
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 05/15/24 9:57 am ::: |
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I agree. American arrogance is always annoying, but especially in this case.
A world champion in women's basketball club competition would be the winner of the EuroLeague vs. the winner of the WNBA, I would say. The champion of the WNBA is the champion of the best overall league in the world, but that's as far as I'd go.
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Silky Johnson
Joined: 29 Sep 2014
Posts: 3343
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| Posted: 05/15/24 1:34 pm ::: |
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| Richyyy wrote: |
| ChasingRatDogmaSalade wrote: |
| 2023 world championship rings... |
For winning the Women's National Basketball Association. I know the Aces like to push the "Us against the World!" narrative but this still annoys me. They're just not. You didn't win the world championship. You're an exceptional team, who won back-to-back titles in a league where that hadn't been done for over 20 years. Why declare yourselves as something you're clearly not and frankly detract from the actual achievement? It's dumb. |
Aces at full strength versus Team USA with no A'ja, Gray, Plum or Young. Best of 5 series, who ya' got?
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J-Spoon
Joined: 31 Jan 2009
Posts: 6827
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| Posted: 05/15/24 2:23 pm ::: |
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| Silky Johnson wrote: |
| Richyyy wrote: |
| ChasingRatDogmaSalade wrote: |
| 2023 world championship rings... |
For winning the Women's National Basketball Association. I know the Aces like to push the "Us against the World!" narrative but this still annoys me. They're just not. You didn't win the world championship. You're an exceptional team, who won back-to-back titles in a league where that hadn't been done for over 20 years. Why declare yourselves as something you're clearly not and frankly detract from the actual achievement? It's dumb. |
Aces at full strength versus Team USA with no A'ja, Gray, Plum or Young. Best of 5 series, who ya' got? |
Ok this sounds fun
Aces
C. Gray/Colson/Fair
Plum/Bell
J.Young/Clark/Martin
Wilson/Cannon
Stokes/Gustafson
USA
A. Gray/Clark
Loyd/Ionescu/Taurasi
Collier/Copper/R.Howard
Stewart/A. Thomas
Griner/Boston
Was going to put Canada, Diggis-Smith or Ogunbowale in but decided to stick with Taurasi just for fun. Went non traditional at PG but with DT A. Thomas Loyd and Ionescu there are plenty of player to initiate the offense.
I think USA wins not sure if it takes 5 or 4 games
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Richyyy
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 24401
Location: London
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| Posted: 05/15/24 2:39 pm ::: |
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| Silky Johnson wrote: |
| Richyyy wrote: |
| ChasingRatDogmaSalade wrote: |
| 2023 world championship rings... |
For winning the Women's National Basketball Association. I know the Aces like to push the "Us against the World!" narrative but this still annoys me. They're just not. You didn't win the world championship. You're an exceptional team, who won back-to-back titles in a league where that hadn't been done for over 20 years. Why declare yourselves as something you're clearly not and frankly detract from the actual achievement? It's dumb. |
Aces at full strength versus Team USA with no A'ja, Gray, Plum or Young. Best of 5 series, who ya' got? |
A game that's of fuck all relevance to my point? |
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Silky Johnson
Joined: 29 Sep 2014
Posts: 3343
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| Posted: 05/15/24 2:44 pm ::: |
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| Richyyy wrote: |
| Silky Johnson wrote: |
Aces at full strength versus Team USA with no A'ja, Gray, Plum or Young. Best of 5 series, who ya' got? |
A game that's of fuck all relevance to my point? |
First of all, rude.
Second of all, I didn't challenge the veracity of your point. I was inspired by your point to ask you a completely different question.
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Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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Silky Johnson
Joined: 29 Sep 2014
Posts: 3343
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| Posted: 05/15/24 4:52 pm ::: |
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| J-Spoon wrote: |
Ok this sounds fun
Aces
C. Gray/Colson/Fair
Plum/Bell
J.Young/Clark/Martin
Wilson/Cannon
Stokes/Gustafson
USA
A. Gray/Clark
Loyd/Ionescu/Taurasi
Collier/Copper/R.Howard
Stewart/A. Thomas
Griner/Boston
Was going to put Canada, Diggis-Smith or Ogunbowale in but decided to stick with Taurasi just for fun. Went non traditional at PG but with DT A. Thomas Loyd and Ionescu there are plenty of player to initiate the offense.
I think USA wins not sure if it takes 5 or 4 games |
Harsh, but fair. Could the Aces at full strength beat China's NT?
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Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010
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