Las Vegas Aces Overview
The Las Vegas Aces are a professional women’s basketball team competing in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1997 and is based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, playing its home games at Michelob Ultra Arena inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Paradise, Nevada, with team headquarters in Henderson, Nevada. The Aces are owned primarily by Mark Davis, owner of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, with a minority stake held by former NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
Under the leadership of President Nikki Fargas and Head Coach Becky Hammon, the Las Vegas Aces have become one of the most decorated teams of the modern WNBA era. The team won its first WNBA championship in 2022, captured a second straight title in 2023, and added a third championship in 2025, making it one of the most successful franchises in league history. The Aces are identified by their black, silver, and white team colors and play in a market that does not host an NBA team.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The franchise was created in 1997 as one of the eight original WNBA teams. The club was established in Salt Lake City and named the Utah Starzz, a name that referenced both the old ABA team the Utah Stars and the popular Utah Jazz of the NBA, with the extra z added to fit the trend of women’s basketball team names. Despite the high-profile association with the Jazz organization, the Starzz struggled on the court in their early years, posting the league’s worst record in their inaugural 1997 season and remaining near the bottom of the standings in 1998 and 1999.
After the NBA divested itself of its WNBA franchises at the end of the 2002 season, the Utah Jazz ownership declined to keep the team. With no local buyers willing to purchase the club, the Starzz were sold to Peter Holt, the owner of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, and relocated to San Antonio. The team was rebranded as the San Antonio Silver Stars, adopting the silver and black colors of the Spurs, and later shortened its name to the San Antonio Stars in 2014. Under the Holt family and Spurs Sports & Entertainment, the franchise rebuilt its roster, scouting staff, and training operations while sharing resources with its NBA partner.
Growth Into WNBA Competition
The Las Vegas Aces’ history reflects an extended climb from a struggling original franchise into a perennial WNBA contender. As the Utah Starzz, the team made the playoffs in 2001 and 2002 but was eliminated in the early rounds both times. Following the move to San Antonio, the Silver Stars failed to reach the postseason in each of their first four seasons from 2003 to 2006, but a series of aggressive trades and smart drafting began to change the team’s competitive direction.
The 2007 campaign marked the franchise’s first real breakthrough in the WNBA. The Silver Stars acquired stars Becky Hammon, Ruth Riley, and Sandora Irvin through trades, selected Helen Darling in the Charlotte Sting’s dispersal draft, and drafted Camille Little in the second round. Combined with holdovers such as Sophia Young and Marie Ferdinand-Harris, the new-look Silver Stars became an instant contender in the Western Conference. After the move to Las Vegas in 2018, the Aces’ commitment to elite talent, modern facilities, and high-level coaching set the stage for championship-level success.
Las Vegas Aces Competitive Journey
The Las Vegas Aces’ journey spans three cities and three identities, with steady improvement culminating in a dynasty. From the early years as the Utah Starzz to the competitive Silver Stars era in San Antonio and the championship Aces years in Las Vegas, the franchise has progressed from the league’s basement to the top of the WNBA. The team’s transformation accelerated after the 2018 relocation, especially following Mark Davis’s purchase in 2021 and the hiring of Becky Hammon as head coach.
Early Seasons and Development (1997–2006)
The Utah Starzz began play in 1997 and endured a difficult start, finishing with the worst record in the WNBA. The team selected 7-foot-2 center Margo Dydek with the first pick of the 1998 WNBA Draft, the tallest player in league history, but continued to finish near the bottom of the league. The franchise reached the postseason for the first time in 2001, when the Starzz were swept in the first round by the Sacramento Monarchs, and returned to the playoffs in 2002, beating the Houston Comets in the Western Conference Semifinals before being swept by the eventual champion Los Angeles Sparks.
After the 2002 season, the franchise was sold and relocated to San Antonio, where it became the San Antonio Silver Stars. The team’s first four seasons in San Antonio brought no playoff appearances, as the Silver Stars posted losing records from 2003 through 2006. Despite the difficult results, the organization invested in scouting and player development, laying the foundation for the breakthrough that would follow in 2007.
Breakthrough in WNBA (2007–2017)
The 2007 season marked a true turning point for the Silver Stars, as a series of major trades, draft picks, and free-agent signings reshaped the roster. With Becky Hammon, Sophia Young, Ruth Riley, and other key additions, the Silver Stars clinched their first playoff berth in San Antonio and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the Phoenix Mercury. The momentum carried into 2008, when the Silver Stars posted the best record in the Western Conference, earned the No. 1 seed, and reached the WNBA Finals for the first time in franchise history before losing to the Detroit Shock.
Following the 2008 Finals run, the Silver Stars remained a regular playoff presence, qualifying for the postseason seven times during their fifteen years in San Antonio. The team reached the playoffs in 2010, 2012, and 2014, though it struggled to advance past the first round in most of those seasons. After the 2017 campaign, Spurs Sports & Entertainment placed the team up for sale, setting the stage for the franchise’s next major transformation.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2018–Present)
On October 17, 2017, the WNBA and NBA approved the sale of the Stars to MGM Resorts, with the plan to relocate the team to Las Vegas and play at Michelob Ultra Arena beginning with the 2018 season. The Las Vegas Aces name was officially announced on December 11, 2017, and the franchise used its new position to select South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson with the first pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft. On January 14, 2021, Mark Davis agreed to purchase the team from MGM, with the WNBA approving the deal on February 12, 2021. Shortly after the sale, the Aces broke ground on a 50,000 square-foot training facility in Henderson, the first complex built solely for the use of a WNBA team, which opened in April 2023.
In May 2021, Davis hired former LSU Lady Tigers basketball head coach Nikki Fargas as team president, and on December 31, 2021, Becky Hammon was named head coach in a deal that made her the highest paid coach in the WNBA. Under Hammon, the Aces won the 2022 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup and their first WNBA championship that same season, defeating the Connecticut Sun in four games and delivering the first major professional sports championship to Las Vegas. In 2023, Tom Brady purchased a minority stake in the team, and the Aces successfully defended their title against the New York Liberty, becoming the first team to win back-to-back WNBA championships since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002. The Aces won a third WNBA championship on October 10, 2025, sweeping the Phoenix Mercury 4–0 and clinching the title with a 97–86 victory in Phoenix.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The Las Vegas Aces are built around elite talent, modern player development, and a championship-first culture. With A’ja Wilson anchoring the roster and Becky Hammon leading the sidelines, the team emphasizes a balanced offensive attack, disciplined half-court defense, and a deep rotation capable of dominating possessions. The franchise’s investment in a dedicated 50,000 square-foot training facility underscores its commitment to giving players the resources needed to compete at the highest level year after year.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Among the Las Vegas Aces’ most important moments, the 2008 WNBA Finals appearance stands as the franchise’s first championship-round trip, the 2022 title marked Las Vegas’s first major professional sports championship, and the 2023 repeat made the Aces the first back-to-back WNBA champions since 2001 and 2002. The 2024 season brought the first total season-ticket sellout in WNBA history, while the 2025 sweep of the Phoenix Mercury delivered a third championship in four seasons.
Las Vegas Aces Achievements and Results
The Las Vegas Aces have built a résumé that includes three WNBA championships, one Commissioner’s Cup, one Western Conference title, and a 2024 season that produced the first full season-ticket sellout in league history. These accomplishments reflect a franchise that has steadily grown from a struggling original club into one of the WNBA’s defining dynasties.
WNBA Achievements
The Las Vegas Aces have won three WNBA championships in 2022, 2023, and 2025, giving the franchise one of the most decorated recent runs in league history. The 2022 championship came after playoff wins over the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm, followed by a four-game victory over the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA Finals. The 2023 title defense was completed against the New York Liberty, and the 2025 championship was secured with a 4–0 sweep of the Phoenix Mercury, capped by a 97–86 road win in Game 4.
Conference Achievements
The franchise captured its only Western Conference championship in 2008, when the San Antonio Silver Stars posted the best record in the conference and earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. That season produced the franchise’s first WNBA Finals appearance. Throughout the San Antonio era, the team also qualified for the WNBA playoffs in seven of its fifteen seasons, including runs in 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2014 that established the Silver Stars as a steady Western Conference presence.