After the worst start to the 2024 season that the Las Vegas Aces could have imagined, things are finally starting to come together.

Are the basketball gods back in favor of the Aces? Is Chelsea Gray just that dang good? Or, are the Aces finally getting out of their heads? It’s probably a splash of all three, but if the ship is sailing in the right direction, what does it matter? Winners of four straight, four games above .500 and slowly creeping back to the top of the Western Conference, is it time for the rest of the league to start worrying?

Chelsea Gray brings back the light

The drought is over, and Chelsea Gray is officially back on the hardwood. Her impact has been immediately noticeable for the squad. In four games since returning, Gray is averaging 8.8 points, 4.3 assists and 4.0 assists while finding her stride as the Aces have yet to lose a game she’s played in. Her most dominant performance of the season came in Saturday’s win over the Washington Mystics, when she popped off for 22 points on 8-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-3 from deep. Gray remained a consistent leader for the team from the locker room and on the sideline, but the team having her back on the hardwood makes a tremendous impact.

A’ja gets her official logo

After the big news of A’ja Wilson getting her signature shoe, the suspense slowly began to build. All the world got was a name and promise. Now, the fun has kicked off as Nike has officially spilled the beans on the official logo of A’ja Wilson.

This is the first major clue regarding Wilson signature line beside the announcement itself, and the logo reveal has fans growing even more eager for the official unveiling of the shoe, which is set to debut later this year for the potential M’VP candidate.

Getting the rust off

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

After a rusty start that had them barely hanging on to .500 a little over a week ago, it seems the Aces are back on their champion stride. The unity of this championship group helped them push through with their backs against the wall. Now, they’ve successfully reintegrated Chelsea Gray, while A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum are continuing to play at unbelievable levels.

What seemed to be a disaster of a season slowly is creeping back to a view of optimism, especially with their hardest days behind them. The Aces will look to continue their winning ways, climb back to the top of the standings and keep the pendulum swinging with their newfound momentum. They host the Indiana Fever on July 2 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), before welcoming the Washington Mystics on July 4 (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

With the 2024 WNBA season nearing the halfway point, now is as good a time as any to take a look back and reflect on what has surprised us.

Every year is an adventure, and while some things continue to remain same, there have been some changes in the league that I wasn’t prepared for. Here are the ones that stood out the most:

The aftereffects of the Caitlin Clark Effect

We all knew Caitlin Clark’s entry into the WNBA would be a big deal. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever has many fans, tremendous talent and is an electrifying player. However, none of us could’ve been prepared for how out of control the circus has been.

Somehow, she’s been viewed as the hero, the villain and the martyr all rolled into one. She’s become a lightning rod for discussion about race, privilege and overall respect for and knowledge about the women who play the sport.

When something goes from indie to mainstream, growing pains always come along with such a transition. However, this one has been particularly ugly to watch. I think it’s telling that Clark doesn’t want to be held responsible for the worst takes about her and has tried to stay out of all the noise. Much of this was predictable, but we’re all surprised by how bad it has been at times, and how the loudest and most ignorant voices have received the most attention.

Even hype is bound by the laws of physics, and things have begun to settle down. Clark is still must-watch TV, but no longer draws front-page news for every loss or hard foul that has happened a million times to a million players before. I’m sure the hype and controversy surrounding her will come up again. It’s probably a small scenario that goes from a molehill to a mountain. But moving forward, I’ll be more prepared for it because these first few months certainly took me by surprise.

The Lynx are back!

Set Number: X164535 TK1

Every season, a team surprises us; that team this year is the Minnesota Lynx.

A sub .500 squad last year, they currently sit tied with the second-best record in the league. Recently, they beat the New York Liberty to become the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup champions.

Napheesa Collier is having a career year, averaging 20.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. With Collier playing at such an elite level, this is no longer just a feel-good story; it’s proof that the Lynx are legit title contenders.

New sponsorships

Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

I didn’t expect the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to sponsor a team, presenting all Aces players a $100,000 endorsement deal. And I certainly didn’t expect that to result in a WNBA investigation, but with this league, nothing should surprise you.

A’ja Wilson getting a shoe was a pleasant surprise, with Nike running an interesting campaign by launching a site called ofcourseihaveashoe.com. Wilson also has a new logo that has been met with mixed results from fans, but her new merchandise seems to be selling well.

That, along with private planes and new deals popping up for stars and role players alike, shows that the game is growing in new and interesting ways. So, while there are growing pains with the development of the WNBA, it will, in the end, lead to more money and opportunities for everyone involved.

After trailing the Commissioner’s Cup champion Minnesota Lynx 7-0 in the opening minutes, the Chicago Sky took a quick timeout, got themselves together and regained the momentum.

They would hold onto that momentum throughout the first three quarters. They did so through protecting the ball, spacing with and without the ball, taking good shots and holding the likes of Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and Bridget Carleton, as well as former Sky players Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith, at bay.

Chicago played with a certain level of patience so that the offense could run smoothly, with a tremendous emphasis on wanting to create motion and opportunities to score from all spots on the floor. Such efforts helped the Sky lead by as many as nine points; they had a 57-52 advantage going into the fourth quarter. It seemed as if Chicago was poised to hold on for a convincing win against a venerable opponent. That is when everything turned, as the Sky drastically struggled for points and in the end were outscored 18-5, shooting a whopping 2-for-23 from the field in the final 10 minutes. The poor finish resulted in the 70-62 defeat.

In spite of a very difficult loss, there were some notable performances:

Lindsay Allen

The veteran point guard led the way in terms of facilitating the offense and unleashing an offensive clinic that culminated in a season-high 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds. She also managed to come away with the highest shooting percentage, going 50 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the 3-point line.

“She’s a pure point guard,” said head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. “She recognizes what’s going on and where the ball must be, plays that should be made and for whom those plays should be read for. She’s a conductor.”

Angel Reese

The rookie phenom came away with her record-breaking 10th-consecutive double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds. It seemed as if she was on the cusp of the streak ending in the final moments until she found herself at the foul line with 23 seconds left. Though the Sky were on the path to defeat, she went 1-for-2 at the line to solidify yet another double-double performance that got the crowd on their feet.

Chennedy Carter

The feisty starting guard once again took on the difficult task of doing difficult tasks. She was all over the floor and carried the team on her shoulders throughout as she ended with a team-high 15 points, three assists and four rebounds.

Marina Mabrey

Against a swarming Minnesota perimeter defense, the sharp-shooting Mabrey found ways to engage in some playmaking as she came away with 11 points, four assists and three rebounds.

Kamilla Cardoso

The basket was not Cardoso’s friend as she struggled to score inside and finished with one field goal out of nine attempts, resulting in only three points. However, she did some solid work on the boards with 10 rebounds, in addition to an epic block on Natisha Hiedeman.

The Chicago Sky (6-11) will hit the road to play the Atlanta Dream (7-10) on July 3 at 7 p.m. ET.