The 2025 WNBA Season

As I'm currently working on new content for this here site, I've got the Las Vegas Aces vs Golden State Valkyries game on in the background. In my 2024 WNBA Season recap, I mentioned how the Aces dominated the league the few years prior to 2024. Last year, they were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round, and I doubted they minded in the least

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Uhh, yeah, that was last year. This year, they legit may not even make the playoffs. As of this game (and as they graciously include at the bottom on the TV scoreboard, 'preciate that Dubb), the Aces sit at 9 - 11 on the season. The Valkyries, their opponent for tonight's game, and ya know, the EXPANSION TEAM, sit at 10 - 9. I don't know if the Aces lost 11 games all last like five seasons combined!

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I thought, 'How could this be?'. A'ja Wilson, the reigning fucking MVP btw, is still playing at a ridiculous level, although she's missed some games, including their last lost against Washington. Becky Hammon will also be Becky Hammon. So, what's the problem?

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Well, it could have something to do with the game I watched the second half of before this game; Minnesota Lynx vs Chicago Sky. Minnesota is having the kind of year the Aces are used to having. But today, they ran up against an unexpected brick wall in the Windy City, in the 6 - 13 (coming into this game) Sky, who shocked the champion hopefuls handing them a six-point loss (although to be fair, it's only the Lynx's fourth loss, and they still sit in first place in the league by a couple of games over the Mercury/Liberty). The fuck does this have to do with the Aces, bro?! Right...well, the Sky is coached by Becky's former Aces assistant Tyler Marsh

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There's also Kelsey Plum, a major contributor during those Aces glory years, who plum-disappeared (takes bow, thank youuuu) by signing with the Sparks here in LA

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That's only two people, but those are two major contributors from that era. I mean, you gotta figure it's known how critical Tyler must have been to those championships for him to get a head coaching gig elsewhere in the league

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But...there's another head scratcher in these developments. Also on the 2024 recap, I briefly mentioned Jewell Loyd, then of the Seattle Storm, was pretty good although she got hurt before the playoffs and would not return. What I didn't know at that time, was that she had filed a grievance of some sort against her coach, Noelle Quinn, and best I could tell, against the team as well. The grievance was either dismissed, or an investigation of the grievance revealed no wrongdoing, I can't remember which. In what I would have to imagine was THE single most agreed upon thing between Jewell and the Storm, Jewell was traded to the Aces. Obviously, I don't know the intricacies of what goes on in the front office, but if I'm taking a guess, I would think maybe the powers that be saw Jewell as a worthy replacement of Kelsey. Was that a bust? Or is there something else at play? Or is it simply a matter of every team has their run end eventually? If that last one is the case, that's interesting to me, because I'd like to know how often that happens while the top player of the team is still in her prime

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And truthfully, the Aces lost most of their major contributors. Aside from A'ja, they've only got Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young remaining. But again, you should be able to put damn near anybody with the MVP and at least maintain a few games above .500, shouldn't you? 

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Fuck do I know? I'm just a fan who just found out about WNBA League Pass literally two seasons ago

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Speaking of which, this is another thing I'm looking forward to watching unfold on mine. Y'all better get yours!

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