As the Stars, the team qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in seven of their fifteen years in San Antonio. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as all-star point guard Becky Hammon, solid power-forward Sophia Young, former first-overall draft pick Ann Wauters, seven-foot-two-inch center Margo Dydek, two-time Sixth Woman of the Year Dearica Hamby, and two-time league MVP A'ja Wilson. The franchise has gone to the WNBA Finals four times: first in 2008, losing to Detroit, in 2020 losing to Seattle, and in 2022 winning against Connecticut, and in 2023 winning against New York.
One of the eight original WNBA teams, the Utah Starzz (partially named after the old ABA team, the Utah Stars, but with the zz at the end like the Utah Jazz) never met the same success as their (former) counterpart in the NBA, the Utah Jazz. They held the distinction of having the worst record in the WNBA in 1997 and were the first team to select in the 1998 WNBA draft. With their selection, they picked 7 ft. 2 in. center Margo Dydek, who easily became the tallest player in WNBA history. Unfortunately, the pickup of Dydek did little to help their cause and they again finished near the bottom of the league in the 1998 & 1999 seasons. The Starzz finally posted a winning record in 2000, but did not make the playoffs. In 2001, the Utah Starzz made it to the playoffs for the first time, but they were quickly swept in the first round by the Sacramento Monarchs. In 2002, the Starzz made it to the playoffs again, and this time beat the Houston Comets in the Western Conference Semifinals 2 games to 1. Their playoff run ended in the Western Finals, however, as they were swept aside by the eventual champs, the Los Angeles Sparks.
The San Antonio Silver Stars/Stars years (2002–2017)
When the NBA divested itself of all of its WNBA franchises at the end of the 2002 season, the Utah Jazz ownership did not wish to retain ownership of the Starzz. The Starzz then looked for local Utah potential buyers, but none were found, leaving the franchise with the choices of either being sold to out-of-town investor(s) or folding. The Starzz avoided folding when the franchise was sold to Peter Holt (the owner of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs) and relocated to San Antonio. The team's name was changed to the San Antonio Silver Stars and would change its team colors to the silver and black motif used by the Spurs.
For the first four seasons (2003–2006) after moving to San Antonio, the franchise was unable to change its old losing trend and did not make the playoffs. The 2007 season brought a lot of change for the Silver Stars. They acquired stars Becky Hammon, Ruth Riley, and Sandora Irvin in trades, selected Helen Darling in Charlotte Sting's dispersal draft, drafted Camille Little in the second round, signed Erin Buescher during the off-season, and retained key players, such as Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Vickie Johnson, Shanna Crossley, Kendra Wecker, and Sophia Young. The new-look Silver Stars became an instant contender in the Western Conference. On August 4, 2007, the Silver Stars clinched their first playoff berth since the franchise relocated to San Antonio in 2003. In the first round, the Silver Stars were matched up against the Sacramento Monarchs. After losing game 1 in Sacramento, the Silver Stars would win games 2 and 3 to advance to the Western Finals. The Silver Stars faced off against a strong Phoenix Mercury team, which had the number 1 seed in the Western Conference. On September 1, 2007, the Silver Stars' season came to an end after the Stars lost Game 2 98–92 in Phoenix.
Heading into 2008, the Silver Stars were regarded as a premiere contender and did not disappoint. After an average start, the Stars seized control of the Western Conference and rode to the best record in the West, and the #1 seed in the playoffs. In the WNBA Finals, the Silver Stars faced the Detroit Shock, who were making their third WNBA Finals appearance in a row. In Game 1 at home, the Silver Stars fell behind early, but would tie the game at 69 with 2:15 left in the 4th quarter. But from there the Shock took control once again and won the game 77–69. The 2010 season was not much different for the Stars. They finished with an unimpressive 14–20 record but sneaked into the third seed of the playoffs in a below-average Western Conference. The Silver Stars were swept in the first round of the playoffs by Phoenix and it was clear that some changes were needed. In the 2012 playoffs, the Silver Stars lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Sparks. The team would miss the playoffs in 2013. In the 2014 playoffs, the Stars would lose in the first round to the Minnesota Lynx.
Relocation to Las Vegas
After the Spurs Sports & Entertainment decided to put the team up for sale, following the 2017 season, it became apparent the team would be on the move. The NBA and WNBA approved the sale of the Stars to MGM Resorts on October 17, 2017, with the intention of relocating the team to Las Vegas and playing at the Michelob Ultra Arena starting in the 2018 season.[6] On December 11, 2017, at a press conference inside the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the team name was officially announced as the Las Vegas Aces.[7] They received the first pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, and picked South Carolina's A'ja Wilson.
On January 14, 2021, Mark Davis, owner of the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to purchase the team from MGM.[8] The purchase was approved by the league on February 12, 2021.[9] Shortly after the purchase of the team by Davis, ground was broken on a training facility for the Aces in Henderson next to the Raiders facility. The 50,000 square foot facility, the first complex built solely for the use of a WNBA team houses the Aces’ practice facility, offices, training room, weight room, hydrotherapy space, physical therapy area, locker rooms, a lecture hall, player and alumni lounges, and an on-site day care center and was completed in April 2023.[10][11][12] In May 2021, Davis hired former LSU Lady Tigers basketball head coach Nikki Fargas as team president. On December 31, 2021, Becky Hammon was hired as head coach in a deal that made her the highest paid coach in the WNBA.[13] During the 2022 season, the Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury in round 1 and the Seattle Storm in the semifinals before deafeating the Connecticut Sun in the 2022 WNBA Finals in 4 games to win the franchise's first championship and the first professional sports championship for Las Vegas.
On March 23, 2023, it was announced that former NFL quarterback Tom Brady had purchased a minority stake in the team.[14]
May 5, 1998: The Starzz traded Lady Harmon to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Chantel Tremitiere.
May 8, 1998: The Starzz traded Karen Booker to the Houston Comets in exchange for Fran Harris.
July 29, 1999: The Starzz traded Wendy Palmer and Olympia Scott-Richardson to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Korie Hlede and Cindy Brown.
April 24, 2000: The Starzz traded the third and eighth picks in the 2000 Draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Jennifer Azzi and the 12th pick in the 2000 Draft.
April 18, 2002: The Starzz traded Korie Hlede to the New York Liberty in exchange for the 14th pick in the 2002 Draft.
January 28, 2004: The Silver Stars traded the fourth, 16th, and 29th picks in the 2004 Draft to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Shannon Johnson, the 21st and the 34th picks in the 2004 Draft.
July 19, 2004: The Silver Stars traded Gwen Jackson to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Adrian Williams.
April 16, 2005: The Silver Stars traded Margo Dydek to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Katie Feenstra and a first-round pick in the 2006 Draft.
May 18, 2005: The Silver Stars traded Connecticut's first-round pick in the 2006 Draft to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Chantelle Anderson.
February 21, 2007: The Silver Stars traded a second-round pick in the 2007 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Sandora Irvin.
February 22, 2007: The Silver Stars traded Katie Feenstra and the right to swap first-round picks in the 2008 Draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Ruth Riley.
April 4, 2007: The Silver Stars traded Jessica Davenport and a first-round pick in the 2008 Draft to the New York Liberty in exchange for Becky Hammon and a second-round pick in the 2008 Draft.
April 9, 2008: The Silver Stars traded Camille Little, Chioma Nnamaka, and a first-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Ann Wauters, Morenike Atunrase, and a second-round pick in the 2009 Draft.
February 19, 2010: The Silver Stars acquired Roneeka Hodges from the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the right to swap second-round picks in the 2011 Draft.
March 11, 2010: The Silver Stars acquired Michelle Snow from the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Dalma Ivanyi and the right to swap second-round picks in the 2011 Draft.
April 14, 2010: The Silver Stars traded Shanna Crossley to the Tulsa Shock in exchange for Crystal Kelly.
April 20, 2011: The Silver Stars traded Michelle Snow to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Jia Perkins.
May 2, 2011: The Silver Stars traded second- and third-round picks in the 2012 Draft to the Tulsa Shock in exchange for Scholanda Robinson.
March 1, 2012: The Silver Stars traded Roneeka Hodges to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Tangela Smith.
March 14, 2012: The Silver Stars traded Sonja Petrovic to the Chicago Sky in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2013 Draft.
March 12, 2015: The Stars traded Shenise Johnson and a second-round pick in the 2015 Draft to the Indiana Fever in exchange for a first- and third-round picks in the 2015 Draft.
April 16, 2015: The Stars traded the 9th overall pick in the 2015 Draft to the New York Liberty in exchange for Alex Montgomery.
July 5, 2015: The Stars traded a second-round pick in the 2016 Draft to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Samantha Logic.
April 14, 2016: The Stars traded Jia Perkins to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Jazmon Gwathmey.
May 9, 2016: The Stars traded a second-round pick in the 2017 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Monique Currie.
January 31, 2017: The Stars traded Danielle Robinson to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Isabelle Harrison and the 5th pick in the 2017 Draft.[21]
February 27, 2017: The Stars traded Astou Ndour to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Clarissa Dos Santos.[22]
May 9, 2017: The Stars traded Jazmon Gwathmey to the Indiana Fever in exchange for the Fever's 2018 3rd round pick.[23]
June 28, 2017: The Stars traded Monique Currie to Phoenix Mercury for Shay Murphy, Sophie Brunner and Mercury's 2018 3rd Round Draft Pick.[24]
February 1, 2018: The Aces traded Kayla Alexander and their 3rd round pick in the 2019 Draft to Indiana Fever for their 2nd round pick in 2019 Draft.[25]
February 2, 2018: The Aces traded the 26th pick in the 2018 Draft and their 2nd round pick in the 2019 Draft to Phoenix Mercury for Kelsey Bone.[26]
May 16, 2019: The Aces traded Moriah Jefferson, Isabelle Harrison, their first and second round picks in the 2020 Draft to the Dallas Wings in exchange for Liz Cambage.[27]
February 15, 2021: The Aces traded Lindsay Allen and the 24th pick in the 2021 Draft to Indiana for the 14th pick in the 2021 Draft.
April 10, 2022: The Aces traded their first and second round picks in the 2023 Draft to Minnesota for the 8th and 13th pick in the 2022 Draft.
January 21, 2023: The Aces traded Dearica Hamby and their first round pick in the 2024 Draft to Los Angeles in exchange for Amanda Zahui B and a second round pick in the 2024 Draft.
February 5, 2023 The Aces traded the negotiating rights to Amanda Zahui B to Washington in exchange for the Mystics' second round picks in the 2024 Draft and 2025 Draft.
All-Stars
1997: No All-Star Game
1998: No All-Star Game
1999: Natalie Williams
2000: Natalie Williams
2001: Natalie Williams
2002: Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Adrienne Goodson
2003: Margo Dydek, Marie Ferdinand-Harris
2004: Shannon Johnson
2005: Marie Ferdinand-Harris
2006: Sophia Young
2007: Becky Hammon, Sophia Young
2008: No All-Star Game
2009: Becky Hammon, Sophia Young
2010: Jayne Appel, Becky Hammon, Michelle Snow, Sophia Young
2011: Danielle Adams, Becky Hammon
2012: No All-Star Game
2013: Danielle Robinson
2014: Danielle Robinson
2015: Kayla McBride, Danielle Robinson
2016: No All-Star Game
2018: Kayla McBride, A'ja Wilson
2019: Liz Cambage, Kayla McBride, A'ja Wilson
2020: No All-Star Game
2021: Liz Cambage, Chelsea Gray, Dearica Hamby, A'ja Wilson
2022: Dearica Hamby, Kelsey Plum, A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young
2023: A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum
2023 Las Vegas Aces season
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