It was a year of firsts for the Las Vegas Aces: their first Commissioner’s Cup, Kelsey Plum’s first All-Star appearance and MVP award, Becky Hammon’s first season coaching in the WNBA and, of course, their first WNBA title — which was also the first professional championship won by a Las Vegas professional sports franchise.

They added to their success on the basketball court by pushing the envelope off the court as well. From Hammon’s history-making contract, to their biggest stars speaking out on issues that affect the league, the Aces were front and center of the basketball world in 2022.

A team worthy of celebrating, the Aces are taking home another honor as our Team of the Year.

Las Vegas finished the season as the WNBA’s No. 1 overall team at 26-10 and cruised through the first round of playoffs, with two dominant victories over the Phoenix Mercury. Then, after dropping their first game in the semifinals to the Storm — the team thought to be their biggest challenger in the postseason — the Aces won three in a row, including a 110-98 overtime win in Game 3 where A’ja Wison finished with 34 points and 11 rebounds.

The Aces clinched their first championship on Sept. 18 with a 78-71 road victory over the Connecticut Sun. Chelsea Gray was named Finals MVP after leading the Aces in assists in eight of 10 playoff games and averaging 18.2 points, six assists, three rebounds and 1.2 steals during the season. It was vindication for Gray, who was snubbed for the WNBA All-Star Game earlier in the season.

Chelsea Gray from deep 👌 pic.twitter.com/1WGDZjchbm

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) September 18, 2022

The title was also further proof of Hammon’s coaching prowess — though she didn’t need it. Afterward, Hammon said winning a championship wasn’t about proving doubters wrong; it was about proving herself right.

Hammon served as an assistant coach on the San Antonio Spurs staff from 2014-22 and was passed over for several head coaching jobs along the way. But the NBA’s loss was the Aces’ gain.

“When I took the job in December, I thought when I started kind of breaking down their rosters that I could do something with it,” Hammon said of her decision to take the job.

“I felt they had the talent to do it, and I felt that I could build the relationships and build the culture in the right way for us to put ourselves in a position to be able to win a championship.”

Becky Hammon let 'em hear it 👏

🔴 First year as head coach
🔴 No. 1 Seed
🔴 Coach of the Year
🔴 WNBA Champs @espnW | @BeckyHammon pic.twitter.com/UA2QlU0bSG

— ESPN (@espn) September 18, 2022

It was also a testament to the organization’s years of work toward building a contender, from the early years in Utah, to the relocation in San Antonio, and finally to their home in Las Vegas.

“Las Vegas, we are world champions,” Aces (and Raiders) owner Mark Davis said during the parade. “It wasn’t an overnight journey. The WNBA and this franchise has been around for 26 years. Over the years, we’ve had alumni, fans, staff, coaches that helped build this organization to where it is today.”

Davis was serious about turning the Aces into a successful franchise when he purchased the team in January 2021. With every high-profile signing (Gray in 2021) and contract extension (Wilson in 2022), Davis and his front office sent a message to the WNBA and women’s sports world about the power of investment. He made his biggest statement yet last December, when Hammon joined the Aces on a five-year contract worth over $1 million per year that made her the highest-paid coach in the WNBA.

Las Vegas’ management is dedicated to the future of their team. With the success that came along with their investment in 2022, the Aces built a platform, and they are using it.

Wilson and Plum have been particularly vocal about growing the game through increases in player compensation, improvements in travel, and other means that affect their peers on a regular basis. Plum recently went on the Residency Podcast to discuss the WNBA’s fight for equal pay, while Wilson spoke with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks about visibility in women’s sports.

In 2022, when the Aces played, people watched. And when they talked, people listened.

Here’s to the JWS Team of the Year, and more Aces world domination in 2023.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.