LAS VEGAS – For what feels like the first time in forever, the Las Vegas Aces entered an offseason with more questions than answers.
The organization separated itself from now former general manager Natalie Williams just days after being eliminated by the New York Liberty in four games last October. At the time, the Aces said there would be a restructuring of the front office, though it wasn’t clear initially what that would entail.
Throughout the offseason, it’s become somewhat clear that this new-look front office largely consists of Becky Hammon and Nikki Fargas serving as the de facto GM and co-GM. While both Hammon and Fargas are reluctant to take too much of the credit, it’s clear this roster has been built with Hammon’s system in mind more than previous iterations of the team during her stint.
“It’s been a collaborative effort,’ Fargas said. “I think Becky has been very instrumental in identifying who she feels is going to fit her system. Tonya Holly, our VP of basketball operations, has been instrumental.
“I think we're in a good rhythm. I think we know everybody's role and responsibilities. When you're putting together a roster, there's more to a GM’s responsibility than just forming the team. There are so many other things that you have to be aware and on top of. It’s been a great opportunity for us to talk through what the future is going to look like.”
While Hammon has been serving in a role not unlike the one her mentor Gregg Popovich occupied in San Antonio for nearly three decades, she’s grateful for Fargas’ ability to handle the Ps and Qs while she keeps things strictly basketball.
“Nikki's been great,” Hammon said. “Nikki does all the stuff I don't want to do, like jumping on phone calls to talk to all these people. I'm a basketball person. Keep me in my lane.
“She was instrumental in the pieces that we were able to add this year. You know, it's funny, because we would jump on phone calls with each other, and I can talk about the basketball side, and then she can talk about all these other things that I don't want to talk about, that I don't know about. It was good that we were a tag team in that aspect. We're on the phone frequently with each other. I’ll put it that way. But I thought she did a great job.”
For the first time in their post-championship era, the Aces chose to part ways with a member of their core this offseason. Star combo guard Kelsey Plum was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in a three-way deal that saw the Aces acquire Jewell Loyd from Seattle. The Aces also signed Dana Evans, a 2021 WNBA champion with the Chicago Sky, as well as former All-Star Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. In addition, Vegas brought in Tiffany Mitchell, who was a first-team All-American at South Carolina in 2015 while playing alongside Wilson.
“We were just so happy with what we were able to do this offseason,” Fargas said. “We feel like we gained a lot of experience when you look at what Dana Evans has been able to do in the league, winning a world championship with Chicago. Tiffany Mitchell, the relationship that she and A’ja already possess, we knew we were getting a champion in our locker room and on the court.
“Then you're able to bring in Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who has that experience and has been an All-Star. Those three in particular, adding them to the pieces that we have, the nucleus that we have, was huge. And then obviously, you can't say enough about us being able to get Jewell Lloyd, she is one of those players that a coach can only dream to coach and that teammates can only dream to have in the locker room with them.”
For Mitchell, one of the main draws of playing in Las Vegas wasn’t just her relationship with Wilson, but also because of the obvious chemistry in the building.
“The chemistry is what makes this team so great,” Mitchell said. “Just coming here, I don't feel like you can ever have a bad day. It’s such a breath of fresh air there. I say they're pretty unserious, but when it's time to be serious, they’ll be locked in. When it's time to work, it's time to work, but they do a great job of keeping it light as well.”
That was a sentiment shared by Loyd, who also chose the Aces as her preferred trade destination because of relationships she had already established with Wilson and other members of the organization.
“This team likes to have a lot of fun,” Loyd said. “I noticed that from day one. There's an understanding that we are human, we need to have that balance of when to turn it on and off. Having that dynamic, it's refreshing. Yes, this is our job, but at the same time we still want to be normal people. We want to be able to laugh and practice. We want to be able to joke around. I mean, not everything is so serious. They do a really good job here of understanding that balance.”