Aces Search For Scoring Help Following Kelsey Plum's Departure

A'ja Wilson was the only Ace to score over 16 points for Las Vegas in its season-opening loss to New York.

May 17, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) and Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Mitchell (3) fight for a loose ball in the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Throughout Kelsey Plum's seven-year tenure in Las Vegas, the Aces won two WNBA titles and rattled off three 26-plus win seasons — marking one of the most successful stretches of any team in league history.

Las Vegas' decision to move the star guard to Los Angeles via a blockbuster three-team trade in late January sent shockwaves through the WNBA world — positively helping the Sparks while leaving more questions than answers for the Aces.

Plum averaged 17.8 points per game in an Aces uniform last season, good for the second-most on the team behind 6-foot-4 center A'ja Wilson.

Without Plum's offense in Las Vegas' season-opener on May 17, the scoring struggles were evident. A 31-point barrage from Wilson accounted for nearly half of the Aces' total points — but proved futile in the 92-78 loss to the New York Liberty.

SHE'S IN GO MODE 💨@_ajawilson22 // #ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/dz2er0mmBc

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 17, 2025

“Not a good outing for us,” Wilson said postgame, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “That only means we have a lot more work that we need to do, which is something I can go back to the drawing board and figure it out. … It’s just the beginning.”

Las Vegas left the first quarter with a narrow one-point lead but failed to keep pace through the remaining three quarters against the 2024 WNBA champions. Outside of Wilson, the remaining four starters combined for just 11-for-43 from the field — a nightmarish 25 percent shooting clip.

Jewell Loyd scored just five points on 1-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc, while Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Dana Evans as the only other Aces in double figures.

“We just have a lot of work to do. Plain and simple,” coach Becky Hammon said. “I thought New York played well. They were the better team tonight. They outplayed us in basically every area.”

The Aces (0-1) look to get their 2025 campaign back on track against the struggling Connecticut Sun (0-1) before returning home to close out the month against Plum and the Sparks on May 30.

For more news and notes on the Las Vegas Aces, visit Las Vegas Aces on SI.