Ranking every championship team: 2023 Aces are No. 1

When the Las Vegas Aces won their 3rd WNBA rubric successful 4 seasons, the statement Friday instantly turned to whether they had cemented their presumption arsenic the league's adjacent dynasty.

Now it's clip to spot wherever this Aces' rubric squad ranks among the league's 29 champions.

It's not casual an casual task. There was a large spread this play betwixt the 2025 Aces astatine their worst versus astatine their best. Perhaps nary different squad successful league past reversed its fortunes truthful dramatically, going from 14-14 aft a 53-point nonaccomplishment connected Aug. 2 to completing a 4-0 expanse of the WNBA Finals connected Oct. 10.

The Aces ended the regular play connected a 16-game winning streak, but their playoff tally had its drama. They were astir upset successful the archetypal round, winning the deciding Game 3 by 1 constituent against Seattle. They went to overtime successful the deciding Game 5 of the semifinals against Indiana. And Games 1 and 3 of the Finals versus Phoenix were decided by a combined 5 points.

All of that is wherefore the 2025 Aces aren't successful the apical 10 similar their 2022 and 2023 title predecessors.

Speaking of which: Among the biggest challenges for assembling this database is ranking champions who are from the aforesaid franchise and were made up of mostly the aforesaid players. We've attempted to divided those hairs.

There is much than 1 mode to measure the teams. ESPN's Michael Voepel ranked the teams based connected discussions with coaches and players astir the league, positive immoderate old-fashioned subjectivity. ESPN's Kevin Pelton ranked the champions 1 done 29 utilizing a akin statistical exemplary to the 1 helium developed to find the NBA's apical teams. Based connected the predictive powerfulness of constituent differential, it starts with that people successful the regular season.

Ultimately, being astatine the bottommost successful these rankings isn't that overmuch antithetic from being astatine the top. They're each champions.

1. 2023 Las Vegas Aces

Regular play and playoff records: 34-6, 8-1
Defeated the New York Liberty 3-1 successful Finals

• Pelton wide rank: 2

• RS differential: +12.6 (3rd among champions)

• PO rating: +20.3 (2nd among champions)

• Rating: +13.7 (first among champions)

As bully arsenic they were successful winning the 2022 championship, the Aces were adjacent amended successful 2023. They ranked No. 1 successful scoring and defence during the regular play and stumbled conscionable erstwhile successful the playoffs, successful Game 3 of the Finals. A'ja Wilson got her archetypal WNBA Finals MVP grant for her show successful 2023; she won again for the 2025 Finals.

In Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, the Aces besides had trio of guards who were among the best backcourts successful league history.

Candace Parker, a free-agent signee who was expected to beryllium a large portion of the Aces' 2023 rubric run, was sidelined by ft country that July. The Aces besides mislaid starters Gray and Kiah Stokes earlier Game 4 and inactive won the title, illustrating however bully the chemistry was for the team. The Las Vegas seat -- past led by Alysha Clark, Cayla George, Read Entire Article