Chasing Chips

With reigning rookie of the year A’ja Wilson and all-WNBA center Liz Cambagein the fold, the Las Vegas aces have their sights set on a championship. We wouldn’t bet against it.

- Ryne Nelson

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 three-year 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.

In many regards, Wilson and Cambage are a perfect pairing for their larger-than-life WNBA city: two-megawatt personalities, with all-world games to match. It’s no surprise that both players are ultra comfortable in front of the lens. When the playlist hits City Girls’ “Twerk,” Cambage and Wilson momentarily turn up to the music and erupt in laughter.

They’ve both appeared in the pages of SLAM before—dating back to when they were teenagers. Since then, they’ve gone from prodigies to two of the most dominant forces in women’s basketball. Now, they’re about to become just the third and fourth women to grace the cover of SLAM. Cambage and Wilson are not taking the moment for granted.