Aces face crucial offseason after losing in WNBA semifinals

Aces manager Bill Laimbeer said helium hopes the 87-84 nonaccomplishment to the Phoenix Mercury successful Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals is simply a “good learning experience” for the players.

“Learn astir what happened today,” helium said aft Friday’s nonaccomplishment astatine Michelob Ultra Arena. “Learn astir however hard it is. How mentally beardown you person to be. Individually and collectively.”

The Aces summoned their intelligence toughness astatine respective important junctures successful the regular play en way to a 24-8 record, the league’s No. 1 violative standing and No. 2 antiaircraft rating. But they fell abbreviated successful their finale, opening possibly the astir important offseason since they relocated from San Antonio to Las Vegas.

Only 5 players are nether declaration for adjacent season, per Spotrac: Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, Jackie Young and Destiny Slocum — meaning adjacent year’s squad could look drastically antithetic from this year’s.

All-Star halfway Liz Cambage is an unrestricted escaped cause for the archetypal clip successful her vocation and volition apt bid a max wage should she proceed playing successful the WNBA. She was the league’s scoring champion successful 2018 and is susceptible of being a superior scorer connected a contender.

Cambage sacrificed shots and scoring opportunities to prosecute a title successful Las Vegas, and astatine 30, she’s successful the premier of her vocation arsenic 1 of the league’s champion centers.

Former WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson is simply a restricted escaped agent, meaning she tin motion an connection expanse with different team. But the Aces tin and volition lucifer immoderate offer, and she volition instrumentality adjacent play arsenic the look of the franchise arsenic she approaches the opening of her prime.

Angel McCoughtry, Riquna Williams and Kiah Stokes articulation Cambage arsenic unrestricted escaped agents. McCoughtry missed the 2021 play with a torn ACL, but was among the league’s champion players successful 2020. The Aces could usage her size, scoring and defence connected the wing, though she astir apt volition person different suitors fixed however she played successful 2020.

Williams played each crippled this twelvemonth and was the Aces’ apical perimeter defender and 3-point shooter. Stokes served arsenic the backup center, filling successful admirably arsenic the starter portion Cambage was retired due to the fact that of COVID-19.

Fellow backup halfway JiSu Park is simply a reserved player, meaning the Aces clasp her exclusive negotiating rights.

The WNBA excavation of unrestricted escaped agents includes Tina Charles (Washington), Kahleah Copper (Chicago), Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota), Tiffany Hayes (Atlanta), Jonquel Jones (Connecticut), Jewell Loyd (Seattle), Breanna Stewart (Seattle), Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago) and Courtney Williams (Atlanta).

A halfway of Wilson, Gray, Plum, Hamby and Young is bully capable to contend for a title.

“What happens moving guardant is unclear,” Laimbeer said. “We’re inactive a young squad that’s increasing up. This was our 3rd twelvemonth successful the league finals. We’re learning. We’re conscionable not determination yet.”

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.