The Las Vegas Aces returned to “The House” on Saturday night to face the top-ranked Minnesota Lynx for the first time this season. This was a must-win game for the Aces in the Commissioner’s Cup Western Conference standings.
And the Aces pulled it off, but not without a fight.
Las Vegas Aces Steal The Win In Heart-Stopping Battle Against Minnesota Lynx
The Aces outlasted the Lynx 100-97 in a tightly contested battle on Saturday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Vegas leaned on a dominant all-around effort from A’ja Wilson, who delivered a 24-point,10-rebound double-double, while Chelsea Gray caught fire from deep, knocking down six 3-pointers en route to 23 points and 7 assists.
Jackie Young added a strong performance with 16 points and 10 assists for her second double-double of the year. NaLyssa Smith added 15 points to help seal the hard-fought win between two of the league’s top teams.
This game had the crowd screaming, cheering, and breathing a sigh of relief when the Aces secured the win.
During the postgame press conference, a special guest had something to tell Smith about her game. Becky Hammon’s son, Sam, told his mom something about Smith’s game on the way to the presser and she asked him to repeat it. Sam adorably said, “You’re good at defense,” to which Smith excitedly replied, “I’m good at defense? I know that’s right.” Hammon added, “He said you played defensively” before leaving the room. Smiles all around!
The Aces Were Not Invited To The White House After 2025 Championship Win
While President Donald Trump has invited many championship teams and athletes to the White House after a big win, there are two leagues he hasn’t yet – the NBA and WNBA.
With the Aces winning their third championship in four seasons last October, they have yet to be invited to the White House, according to USA Today. This is the first championship win that the team has not been invited to the White House.
In 2023, former president Joe Biden tweeted a message to the Las Vegas Golden Knights after their championship, calling it “the first major professional franchise in such a proud American city.” It didn’t take long for Aces star A’ja Wilson to call him out tweeting, “Twitter not letting me quote tweet potus but…BFFR. When is our White House visit cause…”
Two months after the tweet, the team celebrated their 2022 championship at the White House with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. USA Today shared that the team was already in communication with Biden’s administration before the tweet, but the players were unaware of the invitation.
Previously, Biden hosted the Seattle Storm in 2021 and former president Barack Obama celebrated with Chicago Sky in 2022. It’s also been reported that Barack and Michelle Obama hosted dinner with the New York Liberty after their championship win in 2024.
Donating To A Nonprofit During Commissioner’s Cup Play
The Aces, known for helping the community often, has teamed up with the Public Education Fund to donate during each Commissioner’s Cup game. After Saturday night’s game, the team has earned $15,000 for their nonprofit partner.
According to a press release sent to The Blast by the Aces organization, the team’s win on Saturday night “upped their all-time record in Commissioner’s Cup games to a league-high 33 victories, and remain the only undefeated Western Conference team in CC play.”
The team donates $3,000 for each win and $1,000 for each loss.
WNBA All-Star Voting Is In Progress!
Now’s the time to make your vote count. WNBA All-Star voting has begun and fans with a WNBA ID can vote for the All-Star starters daily through Saturday, June 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
The 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game is set for Saturday, July 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET and will be played in Chicago at United Center.
There are two more “2-for-Days” that will allow fans to have their votes count twice, June 17 and 24, through WNBA.com and the WNBA App voting platforms.
Fans who vote will also get the chance to win a trip to the All-Star Game in Chicago. One grand prize winner will receive a 3-day/2-night trip for two with round-trip air transportation, standard double occupancy hotel accommodations, and two tickets to the Kia WNBA Shooting Stars and State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest, and the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game.
Fans will account for 50% of the vote, while all current players and a media panel will account for 25% each. After the starters have been determined, the league’s head coaches will select 12 reserves. The head coaches for the All-Star Game will be the head coaches of the two teams with the best records following games on Friday, July 10.
Next Up For The Las Vegas Aces
The Aces are back on the road for Monday’s game against the Dallas Wings. They then head to Phoenix to battle the Mercury on Wednesday, June 17, before heading back home for three games — Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, June 21; New York Liberty on Tuesday, June 23; and Wings on Thursday, June 25.
For the full schedule and more information on the Las Vegas Aces, visit their website.