Las Vegas Aces First Basket Stats 2026: Who Scores First
A’ja Wilson scored the Aces’ first basket more than anyone in 2026: 17 times in 45 starts, or 38% of the games they started. Chelsea Gray was next with 13. The Aces made the game’s first field goal in 55% of their 51 games and won 34% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2026 game (330 regular season, 16 playoffs, 1 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Aces in 2026
First basket for team is the first field goal by any LVA player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for LVA | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A’ja Wilson | 45 | 17 | 38% | 8 | 18% |
| Chelsea Gray | 48 | 13 | 27% | 6 | 12% |
| Jackie Young | 48 | 8 | 17% | 5 | 10% |
| NaLyssa Smith | 37 | 7 | 19% | 4 | 11% |
| Stephanie Talbot | 46 | 5 | 11% | 4 | 9% |
| Kalani Brown | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 100% |
| Brianna Turner | 12 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Aces scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 51 | 28 | 55% |
| Home | 25 | 13 | 52% |
| Away | 26 | 15 | 58% |
| Regular season | 44 | 26 | 59% |
| Play-in | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Playoffs | 6 | 2 | 33% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| NaLyssa Smith | 38 | 14 | 37% |
| Brianna Turner | 10 | 2 | 20% |
| Kalani Brown | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Cheyenne Parker-Tyus | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 50 | 17 | 34% |
How the Aces’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 24 | 47% |
| 3-pointer | 14 | 27% |
| Layup | 13 | 25% |
2025
| Player | Starts | First basket for LVA | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A’ja Wilson | 0 | 25 | – | 15 | – |
| Jackie Young | 0 | 11 | – | 5 | – |
| NaLyssa Smith | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – |
| Jewell Loyd | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – |
| Chelsea Gray | 0 | 5 | – | 1 | – |
| Kierstan Bell | 0 | 1 | – | 1 | – |
| Dana Evans | 0 | 1 | – | 0 | – |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Aces?
A’ja Wilson, with 17 of the Aces’ first baskets in 2026 (38% of their 45 starts), ahead of Chelsea Gray with 13.
How often do the Aces score first?
The Aces made the first field goal in 28 of 51 games in 2026 (55%): 52% at home and 58% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Aces?
NaLyssa Smith took 38 of the Aces’ 50 opening tips in 2026 and won 37% of them.
Is A’ja Wilson a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 38% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every WNBA game; see WNBA first basket picks.
Source: WNBA play-by-play and box scores, 2026. Updated October 13, 2026. See the WNBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.