The Las Vegas Aces got back last season's rookie of the year, A'ja Wilson, from an ankle injury and clinched a WNBA playoff spot Sunday.
Wilson, who missed nine Aces games and also the WNBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas, returned with a flourish, getting 25 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots in a 100-85 victory over Chicago.
The Aces will make the franchise's first appearance in the postseason since 2014, when it was still in San Antonio. That was current Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon's last season as a player. After she retired, the Stars had the league's worst record for three years in a row, and then the franchise relocated to Las Vegas with new owner MGM Resorts International.
Last year, the Aces went 14-20 and finished ninth in their inaugural season in Las Vegas, just out of playoff contention.
The third-place Aces, 18-9, have joined first-place Washington, 20-7, and second-place Connecticut, 19-8, in clinching a spot in the 2019 postseason. The Mystics did that Friday with their win at Minnesota, and the Sun did so Sunday by beating Dallas.
Eight teams in total make the WNBA playoffs, with the top two finishers getting a bye into the best-of-five semifinals.