Las Vegas Aces

The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, competing in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Michelob Ultra Arena, located within the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and is headquartered in Henderson, Nevada. The Aces are owned by Mark Davis, owner of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, and Tom Brady.

The franchise was founded in 1997 as the Utah Starzz in Salt Lake City, one of the league's original eight teams. It relocated to San Antonio before the 2003 season, becoming the San Antonio Silver Stars (later shortened to the San Antonio Stars in 2014). The team moved to Las Vegas before the 2018 season and was renamed the Las Vegas Aces. As the Stars, the team qualified for the WNBA playoffs in seven of their fifteen years in San Antonio.

The Aces have won three WNBA championships: in 2022, defeating the Connecticut Sun; in 2023, defeating the New York Liberty; and in 2025, defeating the Phoenix Mercury. They also won the 2022 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. The 2023 championship made the Aces the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002.[edit]

The franchise began as the Utah Starzz in 1997, one of the WNBA's original eight teams. The Starzz struggled in Salt Lake City, making the playoffs only once in six seasons. In 2003, the team moved to San Antonio and became the Silver Stars. Under coach Dan Hughes, the Silver Stars reached the WNBA Finals in 2008, losing to the Detroit Shock. The franchise changed its name to the San Antonio Stars in 2014.

In 2018, the team relocated to Las Vegas and rebranded as the Aces. The move brought new energy, and the Aces drafted A'ja Wilson first overall in 2018. In 2022, Becky Hammon took over as head coach and led the team to its first championship, sweeping the Connecticut Sun. The Aces repeated in 2023, defeating the New York Liberty in four games, becoming the first back-to-back champions since the Sparks. In 2025, they won their third title in four years, beating the Phoenix Mercury.

The Aces have been home to many notable players, including all-star point guard Becky Hammon, power forward Sophia Young, center Margo Dydek, and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year Dearica Hamby. The franchise has appeared in the WNBA Finals five times overall (2008, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025).[edit]