After missing the first half of the 2018 WNBA season, Moriah Jefferson is tearing it up in Europe rather than rehabbing an injury. The Las Vegas Aces will be the ones who benfit this season.

Last season the Las Vegas Aces finished one game outside the playofs with a 14-20 record. They started the season with a 6-11 record until the 1st of July. From there they went 8-9 to finish the season. The difference was that Moriah Jefferson was back, in the team and healthy.

Next season, despite having the number one pick in the 2019 WNBA draft again, it will be Jefferson who holds the key to just how far the Aces can go this season.

Last season the Aces overhauled their roster thanks to changing coach to Bill Laimbeer. Tamera Young was huge, A’ja Wilson lived up to her pre-draft billing, showing that she is going to be a generational talent.

Carolyn Swords was a surprisingly solid addition and Kayla McBride was her incredible self. Kelsey Plum had a really solid second season which she will just build again next season.

Jefferson is the x-factor who will take the Aces from ninth to top four, espeically with the addition of the next number one pick. Whether Jefferson is in the starting lineup or if she is running the second unit, there are very few players in the world who can guard her.

Whether it is the step back three, the quick hands on defense, leading to the pretty transition bucket, Jefferson is so valuable to anything the Aces do. Currently, as stated earlier, Jefferson is overseas. She has led her team, Galatasaray, to the top of group B with a 5-1 record.

Last game she stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. This is a much better lead in to the new season than last year where she averaged career lows across the board.

Jefferson is going to have a bounce back year and the Aces will be much better for it. In a very competative WNBA the play of a player like Jefferson can be the difference between fourth and ninth. Let us hope for the sake of the Aces they are top four this year. They deserve it.

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