The 5 best WNBA draft picks the Aces have ever made

The WNBA draft often invokes thoughts of the future.

For the Aces — a team that has been happily out of contention for a lottery pick for several years — the annual event marks a good time to look to the past.

Here is the Review-Journal’s list of the five best draft picks in Aces history, including the organization’s selections before it relocated to Las Vegas.

5. Sophia Young-Malcolm (2006, No. 4 overall)

As Baylor’s highest-ever draft pick when the San Antonio Silver Stars selected her, Young-Malcolm set a new standard for the franchise and exceeded expectations in the league.

She helped lead the organization to seven playoff appearances, highlighted by a trip to the 2008 WNBA Finals.

From being the third-fastest player in her draft class to score 2,000 points to being inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 2022, Young-Malcolm’s accolades are countless.

Her honors include the 2006 all-rookie team, three WNBA All-Star appearances (2006, 2007, 2009), the 2008 All-WNBA first team, three All-WNBA second-team nods (2007, 2009, 2012) and two WNBA all-defensive team appearances (2008, 2012) before her retirement following the 2015 season.

Her fingerprints remained on the franchise in recent years, as she entered the 2024 season ranked No. 1 on the franchise’s all-time scoring list (4,300 points), a record later broken by A’ja Wilson.

Young-Malcolm’s double-digit scoring games (225), offensive rebounds (549), total rebounds (1,807), steals (477), field goals made (1,659) and 2-point field goals made (1,632) also all ranked first in Aces history until 2023.

4. Dearica Hamby (2015, No. 6 overall)

Despite parting ways with the Aces under contentious circumstances, Hamby remains a key player in the organization’s history.

The Wake Forest alum was projected to be drafted in the latter half of the first round, but San Antonio picked her sixth — a gamble that paid dividends immediately.

In eight seasons with the franchise between San Antonio (three) and Las Vegas (five), Hamby earned WNBA Sixth Player of the Year honors in 2019 and 2020 and got All-Star nods in 2021 and 2022.

Three years before contributing to the Aces’ 2022 WNBA title, she made Las Vegas sports history with the “Hamby Heave.” The unforgettable play, a steal and 40-foot shot with less than six seconds remaining in the Aces’ second-round playoff game against the Chicago Sky, sent the team to the WNBA semifinals in 2019.

Although Hamby being traded to the Los Angeles Sparks before the 2023 season eventually cost the Aces a draft pick following a WNBA investigation, it also gave the organization roster space to sign two-time league MVP Candace Parker and two-time WNBA champion Alysha Clark. Clark would go on to be the Aces’ fourth Sixth Player of the Year in five seasons, playing a vital role in the back-to-back championship win in 2023.

3. Jackie Young (2019, No. 1 overall)

Young was a crucial building block in former coach Bill Laimbeer’s effort to push the Aces to prominence, serving as the team’s third consecutive No. 1 draft pick.

A key player in Notre Dame’s 2018 NCAA championship and runner-up finish in 2019, Young surprised many by announcing her plan to forgo her final year of eligibility just two days before the draft.

While her impact on the Aces continues to grow, the three-time All-Star’s accolades already include contributing to the 2022 and 2023 WNBA title teams, being named the Most Improved Player in 2022 and making the 2023 All-WNBA second team.

2. Kelsey Plum (2017, No. 1 overall)

Leaving Washington as the NCAA’s all-time leading women’s scorer, Plum overcame multiple hurdles to become a cornerstone of the Aces.

She dealt with anxiety and depression early in her professional career, averaging just 8.5, 9.5 and 8.6 points over her first three seasons. She tore her Achilles tendon in 2020 and missed the season, leading her to come off the bench in 2021 and win the WNBA’s Sixth Player of the Year award.

Plum was a key fixture in the Aces’ eventual success, starring as a member of the “Core Four” along with Young, Wilson and Chelsea Gray on the Aces’ 2022 and 2023 WNBA championship teams.

The two-time All-Star also made the 2022 All-WNBA first team, was named the 2022 All-Star Game MVP and won the 2023 All-Star Skills Challenge.

Once Plum felt it was time to move on, the Aces were able to give her the core designation (similar to a NFL franchise tag) and trade her to the Sparks in a blockbuster three-team deal. The Aces acquired Seattle Storm star Jewell Loyd and the Sparks’ 2025 No. 13 draft pick.

1. A’ja Wilson (2018, No. 1 overall)

A no-brainer in the No. 1 spot, Wilson is also arguably one of the greatest draft picks in WNBA history.

With a collegiate legacy so large that South Carolina erected a statue in her honor, the 2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year continued to make an impact on and off the court in Las Vegas.

In 2024 alone, she became the first player in WNBA history to surpass the 1,000-point mark in a single season before being named the second unanimous MVP in league history. She also set a new single-season rebound record.

Despite all of that, the three-time MVP (2020, 2022, 2024) has expressed a desire for more.

Her other accolades include the 2023 WNBA Finals MVP award, two Defensive Player of the Year awards (2022, 2023), six WNBA All-Star appearances (2018, 2019, 2021-24), four first-team All-WNBA nods (2020, 2022-24), three first-team all-defense honors (2022-24), three seasons as the WNBA blocks leader (2020, 2022, 2023) and the 2024 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award.

Honorable mention

Natalie Williams (1999, No. 3 overall)

She eventually became the Aces’ general manager for back-to-back championships.