Understanding one of the best guard trios in WNBA history - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Becky Hammon grinned as if she couldn't believe what Kelsey Plum said.

The all-time scoring leader in NCAA women's hoops history had just recorded 10 assists in a Las Vegas Aces victory on Aug. 11, prompting her coach to praise Plum's passing in the postgame news conference: «It's hard to 're-identify' yourself. But she has.»

Plum nodded in agreement: «It's really hard, being a ball hog for that long.»

That got laughs, but Plum was sincere. She can pile up points — including 40 in a game this season — but is also adept at setting up her teammates. The same goes for teammates Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young.

In their third year of playing together in Las Vegas, each was an All-Star earlier this season. Now, they're trying to win a second consecutive WNBA title and claim a place as one of the greatest guard trios in WNBA history.

They got here by recognizing that as individuals, they could be stars. As a unit, they could be champions.

Post player A'ja Wilson leads the Aces in points, rebounds and blocked shots, and is a strong contender for what could be her third WNBA MVP award. But as much as the spotlight focuses on Wilson, she credits Gray, Plum and Young as fellow architects of what Las Vegas has built.

«To see those three sacrifice for one another, it's been a joy to watch,» Wilson said. «They can each go out and give you big scoring, easily. For them to sacrifice some shots for each other, and for me, it takes a lot of trust. I love my guards so much.»

Las Vegas has the WNBA's top-scoring offense for the fourth season in a row, climbing from 88.7 to 89.3 to 90.4 to 92.8 points per game. Last year, Gray, Plum and Young accounted for 53.7% of the Aces' points and 70.6% of their assists. This season, it's 55%