It’s good to be Queen.
The Las Vegas Aces are playing with house money, winning two back-to-back titles and doing so in a dominant fashion. They are a bonafide super team and with their key players under contract, they will be the favorites to win it all again in 2024.
Doing so would give them a third-straight title, make them a dynasty and give them a solid case as the greatest WNBA team ever.
Facts and figures*
Players under contract (contract status; 2024 salary)
- A’ja Wilson (protected veteran; $200,000)
- Kelsey Plum (protected veteran; $200,000)
- Chelsea Gray (protected veteran; $196,267)
- Jackie Young (protected veteran; $169,950)
- Alysha Clark (protected veteran; $110,000)
- Kierstan Bell (unprotected; $74,398)
Free agents (type; 2023 salary)
- Sydney Colson (unrestricted; $74,305)
- Candace Parker (unrestricted; $100,000)
- Kiah Stokes (unrestricted; $81,000)
- Riquna Williams (unrestricted; $149,350)
- Cayla George (restricted; $74,305)
Total salary of free agents: $478,960
Total team salary: $950,615
Cap space: $512,585
2024 WNBA Draft picks (2024 salary)
- Round 2, No. 16 ($67,249)
- Round 2, No. 18 ($67,249)
- Round 2, No. 24 ($67,249)
- Round 3, No. 36 ($64,154)
Analysis
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25246408/1743468586.jpg)
You know what’s scary? The Aces could bring everyone back, as long as all their free agents agree to return at last season’s salary numbers. And you know what’s even scarier? They could get better, if, instead of bringing back all their free agents, they go big-player hunting and acquire another star.
The biggest question right now involves Candace Parker’s future. She’s an older player and was injured last season. Will she return? Does she want to go through the grind on a WNBA season when she’s already flourishing as a broadcaster for TNT? And if she does return, how much will that cost?
Even if Parker returns, they’d still have enough cap space to add a star to their roster riches. Or, they could go after solid rotation pieces to ensure injuries don’t prevent them from winning it all in 2024. Remember, injuries almost did that last season, with Parker’s season-ending surgery and Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes also going down in the Finals.
Regardless, the Aces can do no wrong in free agency. They are the team to beat before and will be the team to beat afterward. They can get even better if they get the right pieces, but they have the advantage over the rest of the league heading into 2024 either way.
*Thanks to Her Hoop Stats for all salary numbers.