The defending champion Las Vegas Aces (28-4) visit the Atlanta Dream (16-16) this Tuesday, Aug. 22, leading off a four-game slate for the day. The game is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network.
While the Aces’ 2023 season has been characterized by pure dominance—Las Vegas has been at the top of the league’s standings since its very first game and will likely go down as one of the best teams in WNBA history—they encountered their first true rough spot last week, losing the Commissioner’s Cup title to the New York Liberty and then suffering an unexpected home loss to the Los Angeles Sparks days later.
Granted, the Commissioner’s Cup game didn’t count in the standings, and the Aces subsequently got revenge on the Liberty in a game that did. Even so, for the first time in 2023, the defending champions look mortal—at least by the lofty standards they’ve set for themselves. In particular, the dynamic backcourt duo of Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum had a rare off night against Los Angeles, combining to shoot 8-for-25 from the floor; given how much of the Aces’ success is driven by their guards’ shot creation, this inefficiency factored heavily into their recent loss.
Tuesday’s game against Atlanta represents the…
