Q&A: 'Fortunate' Aces president discusses winning 3rd WNBA title

LAS VEGAS — Aces president Nikki Fargas has known nothing but winning since she arrived in Las Vegas in May 2021.

It’s not just about winning three WNBA championships in four years. The Aces have reached the semifinals every year since.

“Each championship represents a special group of young individuals who came together, who found a way to be the last person standing, the last team standing,” Fargas said. “They all have special moments attached to them.”

Fargas sat down with the Review-Journal after winning the franchise’s third title to discuss the season, the past five years and what the roster could look like next season.

Fargas chose not to speak about the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, set to expire Friday.

Answers have been edited for clarity.

— Review-Journal: This is a team that has evolved because of the Big Three of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. What has it been like to watch their evolution as teammates?

— Nikki Fargas: I’ve been very fortunate to witness the greatness of each one of them, because greatness exists in all of them. And at some point, each one of them made a huge sacrifice. Whether it’s Jewell Loyd sacrificing by coming out of the starting lineup, or the sacrifices that you make to try to get yourself back healthy because we’ve had some injuries. The challenges that they faced on and off the court, you got to see how they were able to manage and put the team first, even when they may have been physically, mentally, emotionally struggling with things personally.

“You talked about the core, Jackie, Chelsea, and A’ja, but (Kierstan) Bell’s been part of that core. (Center) Kiah (Stokes has) been part of that core. Becky (Hammon) is part of that core. (Assistant coach) Charlene Thomas-Swinson is part of that core. There’s not a lot of turnover in that regard when you have folks on the basketball side who has been here from day one. They know what it takes, they know what the expectations are, they know what the standards are. Any time we’re bringing in new coaches or new players, they understand there’s a winning culture here, and this is how we conduct ourselves, this is how we move through the season.

— RJ: A lot was talked about patience, especially from the players and Hammon when the team started 14-14. You traded for center NaLyssa Smith on June 30. On Aug. 2, the team is 14-14 and just lost by 53 points to the Minnesota Lynx. What did you learn about patience in the process?

— Fargas: I’m fortunate that I spent 25 years coaching. But coaching college, some of the players on our roster, in our league, they weren’t even born when I started coaching. So I’ve been able to follow their career, and I’ve been able to watch and play against and scout against and recruit a lot of these players who are in the league.

For NaLyssa, it was because I believed we were just missing her. We weren’t far from being a championship-caliber team or being in the hunt. We just needed one more piece, and she was it. This is a young lady, she’s gritty, she’s tough on the boards. She can get into her post bag. She’s a hell of a rebounder. She knows how to win. She’s won at Baylor, being a Wade Trophy winner (for the best women’s college player). That doesn’t come easy.

We’ve always and will always keep an eye on those players that maybe they’re not putting up the numbers that you would expect them to, being a lottery pick, but it’s not because the potential isn’t there. And I honestly don’t think NaLyssa has reached her potential. I think we are just now starting to see what this young lady can become.

In making that decision, yes, you’re patient. You’re not just pulling the trigger to be pulling it. You got to really sit on it. I felt as though at that moment, we had enough in this locker room to make a strong push for not only getting into playoffs but making a long run in the playoffs.

— RJ: Looking ahead, all but one player — 2025 second-round pick Aaliyah Nye — will enter unrestricted free agency. That includes Wilson, Young, Gray and Loyd. The priority is to bring them back, but how important is it to bring back the entire group that just won a championship?

— Fargas: When there’s uncertainty of what it’s going to look like as far as your roster, we have to prepare for all scenarios. We prepare because we don’t know yet, right? We have enough in that locker room. Obviously, our core has just been consistent, and that consistency has allowed us to always compete and be in the conversation for a championship.

But with unrestricted free agency, it’s really their choice now. It becomes the player’s choice. And I hope what’s happened here with us is that the players genuinely see that we care about them as the individual, that we support them in not only on the court but in the community work that they are so passionate about. That we’ve provided the resources and the facilities that they deserve, and we hope that means something when they can make their own choice.

Now, we’re going to do everything that we can every year to keep our nucleus together. We’re always going to look at how we can continue to bring this group back together and also explore opportunities if they present themselves and strengthen this roster.

— RJ: What has it meant having Wilson be the face of this franchise? Someone who has stayed grounded in her success, but has become arguably the greatest women’s basketball player ever?

— Fargas: I look at A’ja, and we’re living in an era where … you’ve got to discuss her like you discuss a Serena (Williams). You got to discuss her, and someone asked her this after Game 4, when Michael (Jordan) played. Just dominant. Or Tiger Woods. That’s who A’ja Wilson is. In my eyes. She’s the GOAT.