CHASING CHIPS
WHEN THE LAS VEGAS ACES acquired All-WNBA center Liz Cambage in a mid-May trade, A’ja Wilson couldn’t help but think about championships. And why not? Wilson, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Cambage, last season’s MVP runner-up, are impossible to guard on their own—let alone together. The Aces were entering Year 2 of a threeyear plan to bring a championship to Vegas. By trading for Cambage, they were able to instantly accelerate their progress on that timeline.
“My initial reaction was, OK we’re winning a championship, that’s it,” Wilson laughs. “That’s the second-year player in me that was just like, Alright, bet, automatically going to the playoffs. But that’s who I am. I’m a competitor.”
Fast-forward one month, Cambage and Wilson are inside UNLV’s Cox Pavilion for their SLAM cover shoot. They’ve played all but six games as teammates at this point, but judging by their chemistry, you’d think they’ve known each other since childhood.
“LIZ’S GAME IS JUST SO POWERFUL. IT’S
