Las Vegas Aces Resume WNBA Season Against Seattle Storm With Four Games Left

The defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces return from the World Cup break in a tight playoff seeding race with just four games left.

The Las Vegas Aces, who have won back-to-back WNBA championships, resume their 2023 regular season on Thursday night in Seattle, where they face the Storm in one of only four remaining games before the playoffs begin. The Aces enter the matchup with momentum, having strung together three consecutive wins prior to the league's pause for the FIBA World Cup. Despite that winning streak, Las Vegas sits two games behind the Golden State Valkyries in the standings, leaving the Aces chasing a higher seed with limited runway. At the same time, the Atlanta Dream are pressing from below, trailing the Aces by just one game — meaning every remaining contest carries direct playoff seeding consequences. Seattle, by contrast, arrives in a far more difficult position. The Storm dropped four of their last five games before the break and currently occupy the bottom of the standings, making Thursday's home game a difficult but important opportunity to regain footing. The game in Seattle is part of a condensed final stretch of the WNBA regular season, with all teams having just a handful of games to solidify or improve their playoff positioning. For a franchise with championship expectations like Las Vegas, road games against struggling opponents are typically viewed as must-win opportunities. With the World Cup break now behind them, WNBA teams must quickly refocus on regular season competition, and the Aces' matchup against the Storm sets the tone for what figures to be a tense final week of play across the league.

Why it matters

With just four games left, the Aces' final seed could determine their playoff path and their chances of winning a third straight title. A one-game margin over Atlanta and a two-game gap behind Golden State means every result in this stretch directly shapes the postseason bracket.

What's next

The Aces have three additional regular season games after Thursday's matchup in Seattle before the WNBA playoffs begin.

Key facts

• The Las Vegas Aces are the defending WNBA champions, having won back-to-back titles
• Las Vegas won three straight games before the WNBA's World Cup break
• Four regular season games remain for the Aces heading into the playoffs
• The Aces trail Golden State by two games and lead Atlanta by just one game in the standings
• Seattle has lost four of their last five games and sits at the bottom of the standings
• Thursday's game is played in Seattle

Bias & framing notes

All six sources carry identical or near-identical text, suggesting a single wire report syndicated across multiple regional outlets. The reporting is cut off mid-sentence in four of the six sources, meaning key details about standings, player availability, or context may be missing. No source offers independent reporting, original quotes, or additional depth — the trust score reflects the lack of source diversity despite the factual nature of sports standings.

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