The 2026 season is upon us, with every team aiming to dethrone the Las Vegas Aces’ dominance in the league. The franchise won three out of the last four championships, and one of their championship member, NaLyssa Smith, loved the challenge and culture at the team.
The team is once again a championship contender with their roster ranking among the top five starting lineups for the 2026 season. The 25-year-old star is a member of this top side and explains the difference between her team and other teams.
NaLyssa Smith Loves Aces’ Culture
Joining the WNBA as the second overall pick, the former Baylor star was one of the top prospects in the league. Even though she didn’t stand out during her first three seasons in the league, joining the Aces changed her game drastically.
Talking about the impact of the team, she said, “I think the culture is tremendously different here. I think the standard is winning here, in a lot of organizations that’s not the standard. Being in Vegas, just having that name across your chest, you gotta know that everybody wants this spot, everybody wants this opportunity.”
NaLyssa Smith on the Aces culture and how it compares to other teams:
— Dominic Lavoie (@dominicjlavoie) April 29, 2026
"I think the culture is tremendously different here. I think the standard is winning here, in a lot of organizations that's not the standard. Being in Vegas, just having that name across your chest, you gotta… pic.twitter.com/Yk88dKdNkd
Smith played for the Fever from 2022 to 2024 and then moved to the Wings and then to the Aces in the 2025 season. Although the 2023 season was her career-best year, the player felt the ‘difference’ playing for the Aces.
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Interestingly, she was also the top player in the postseason and helped her side win their toughest opponent in the championship quest.
NaLyssa Smith Stood Tall Against Her Former Team
While Becky Hammon praises Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever after Las Vegas Aces’ toughest semifinal series, she turned to their former star to be the difference maker. After game two, both teams won one game each, and playing at the Gainbridge Arena was a difficult situation for the Aces.
After the third quarter of game 3, Hammon’s big words affected the player, who delivered a flawless performance in the remaining two games to help the team win the series.
Hammon later said, “I got on her. And I don’t like to get on players and then not give them a chance to get it right. She made a mistake, and you all probably saw me pull her over there, then let her go back to work.”
Even though she was not the MVP in the finals, nor did she have massive numbers at the end of the championship run, her performances put her at the elite level and in the starting lineup for the 2026 season, too.