Midway through last season, the Las Vegas Aces looked anything but champions. Sitting at 14–14, their season was slipping away, and belief was fading. A humiliating 111–58 loss to the Minnesota Lynx pushed A’ja Wilson to call out her team. The reigning MVP made it clear to her teammates: “don’t come into this gym” if you weren’t “embarrassed” by the defeat. And the response? Exactly what she had hoped for.

The Aces would go on to have the second-longest winning streak in WNBA history, rattling off 16 straight victories and entering the playoffs as one of the teams to beat. Leading from the front was A’ja Wilson herself, who became the first player to win DPOY, MVP, the scoring title, Finals MVP, and the championship in the same season…In the end, she was aptly rewarded for changing the fortunes of the Aces.

Speaking at a press conference during Las Vegas’ training camp, Wilson admitted she has been involved in the team’s locker room decisions, including those involving the front office. “I’m blessed to have a franchise that lets me be involved,” Wilson said.

“They let me have a seat at the table to discuss what’s going on because they know the locker room is a special place to me, because that’s where the magic happens. On the court is the after stuff, but the locker room and our culture, chemistry is where it really starts. So, I would say I was in those conversations a lot more earlier this month, but right now I’m locked into the people that we have in the gym,” she added further.

Wilson’s admission isn’t just about enhancing her supremacy in the franchise. But it’s a perfect example of the leader that she is in the locker room. She has been with the Las Vegas Aces since the team relocated to Las Vegas and was renamed from the San Antonio Stars. Having won it all with the Aces, it validates the trust and belief the franchise has placed in her, as she remains, without a doubt, their franchise star.

The Aces center has had a career average of 21.4 rebounds, 9.3 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. But Wilson’s impact doesn’t just end there. She brings this same level of perennial leadership to the locker room as well. Head coach Becky Hammon summed up Wilson’s leadership for the Aces in the best possible way last year.

“If there was a leadership trophy, you know, this is the MVP skills trophy, but she has led tremendously through some really rough waters,” she said. And where did this leadership lead the Aces to? Three WNBA titles in the last four years and the growth of a dynasty that can look eye-to-eye with historically successful teams like the Seattle Storm and the Minnesota Lynx.

And, as the driving force behind these developments, it isn’t surprising that the franchise is entrusting Wilson with a key role in its front office as well. The decision makes even more sense for the franchise, given that the Aces often look to center the team around Wilson. As a result, it will allow an even more transparent relationship between A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces.

With Wilson at the front office table, the Aces navigated a pretty good free agency. They were able to bring back veteran players like Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd to complement the team’s perimeter play. On top of that, the Aces front office also brought back NaLyssa Smith before picking Janiah Barker and Jordan Obi in the WNBA Draft. They happen to be critical components to maintain the Aces’ dominance in the WNBA.

But for the Aces, half of their battle was won for them when Wilson put pen to paper with the team. Even in a free agency that emphasized lucrative deals, Wilson showcased trust in the franchise. Even before the CBA agreement came into place, Wilson had made her stance clear in the media that she wanted to stay with the Aces.

Las Vegas didn’t hesitate to repay this trust as well. The team signed their cornerstone for a three-year deal, amounting to a supermax of $5M. It made Wilson one of the highest-paid players in the league.

“A’ja is truly one of one, who has led this franchise to where it is today,” Aces GM and President Nikki Fargas said of the signing.  “Not only has she catapulted into the history books and surpassed almost every record in existence, but she does so with the utmost confidence, authenticity, and grace.”

A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces’ stride towards another WNBA Championship has already begun with the team training camp. On paper, they look like one of the most daunting sides, ranked no. 1 in the WNBA power index this offseason. But Wilson isn’t buying into getting too comfortable with the on-paper stuff or their big win of retaining their core in free agency.

A’ja Wilson Sounds the Alarm for Her Team Even Before Season Tip-Off

The Las Vegas Aces might have hit the bullseye in the free agency, retaining most of their core. In a way, it helps the Aces maintain the chemistry they have had all these years. Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young are notable contributors who have helped the team succeed over the past four years. And quite naturally, on the back of these players, the Aces will look to have yet another Championship-winning season.

But Wilson feels that, courtesy of having the favorable players, the team shouldn’t get complacent with the eventual objective they are looking to earn yet again this season: a fourth WNBA title.

“I think when it comes to our core, especially that’s been together for a little bit, we’re all for making sure that we know how much we mean to this franchise,” she said. “I think when you have a core like that, it’s kind of easy to focus on other pieces around us to be great as well.”

“But at the same time, I was telling the coaches. And I will also relay it to the team. It’s just not getting comfortable with being familiar. We have to understand that we have a target on our back that’s always been there, but it’s a little bit different,” Wilson added further.

While their core remains, the Aces have also seen a few departures. Megan Gustafson and Kiah Stokes are among the crucial players who left the team. But their free agency has more than compensated for it. Now, it will be on the team, as well as Wilson, their leader, to mold this strong core into another Championship-winning season.

The Aces tip off their campaign with a couple of preseason games before their first official game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 10. In the preseason, the team faces the Dallas Wings and the Phoenix Mercury.