The Las Vegas Aces are looking to rebound from a disappointing start to the 2026 season as they head to Los Angeles to face the Sparks in the latter’s season opener on Sunday.
May 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) blocks a shot from Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) in the second quarter of their game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
The reigning WNBA champions (0-1) suffered a lopsided 99-66 defeat in their regular-season opener against the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday, surrendering large scoring runs in the second and third quarters.
“We’re not in good enough shape to compete at the level we need to,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon said after the blowout. “Defensively, it looks like we haven’t practiced it—even though we’ve spent an hour and a half every day on it in training. The little details that separate winning from losing aren’t being executed. Until we commit to doing them, we’ll keep getting beaten like this.”
Las Vegas struggled to contain Phoenix’s perimeter attack, allowing 11 of 24 three-point attempts. That marked a sharp drop-off from 2025, when the Aces boasted one of the league’s best three-point defenses, holding opponents to 31.6% from beyond the arc.
Offensively, the Aces lacked consistent support for four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, who finished with 19 points. Jackie Young added 12 points in the loss.
Now Las Vegas faces a Sparks squad that had the worst defense in the WNBA last season, allowing 88.2 points per game and a league-high 10.1 three-pointers per contest. However, Los Angeles enters the matchup with a revitalized roster, having signed veteran forward and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike.
Kelsey Plum, a key contributor to Las Vegas’ 2022 and 2023 championships before joining the Sparks in 2025, told the Los Angeles Times that Ogwumike’s arrival has transformed the team’s outlook.
“I didn’t realize how big of a decision I made last year until Nneka signed this season,” Plum said. “Now I feel validated—they see the same vision I do.”
Ogwumike averaged 18.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season for the Seattle Storm. She joins a frontcourt alongside another former Aces player, Dearica Hamby, who posted 18.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 2025.
The Sparks’ frontcourt also features Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, who has shown promise as a defensive presence but has been limited to just 34 games over her first two WNBA seasons due to injuries, averaging 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds.
