WNBA Playoffs: 3 teams that could actually beat the Las Vegas Aces

The Las Vegas Aces are currently the team to beat, sitting in first place in the WNBA with a 30-6 record. The postseason is slated to begin Sep. 13 and many people seemed to have already re-crowned the defending champions.

As of now, the Aces, New York Liberty, and Connecticut Sun are the only teams that have clinched a playoff berth. The Aces are still without Candace Parker who had played with a fracture in her foot during the early part of the season. On July 25, Las Vegas announced that Parker underwent surgery on her foot and that her return was questionable. Since her surgery, the Aces have gone 9-5.

With the postseason looming, the question still remains — can anyone dethrone the defending champions and stop them from being the first team to repeat since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002?

Here are three teams that could actually defeat Las Vegas.

Contenders who could beat the Aces: 3. Washington Mystics

Currently, the season record between the Aces and Washington Mystics is 1-1 and the two teams face off Thursday night.

Washington can match up with Las Vegas in the front and backcourt. The Mystics have multiple defenders that they can throw at A'ja Wilson whether it's Shakira Austin, Tiana Hawkins, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Queen Egbo (if needed).

Washington's backcourt can match up with Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray. Natasha Cloud, Ariel Atkins, Brittney Sykes, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough have the speed to match up with any backcourt. Not to mention, the Mystics have the ability to run their offense through Elena Delle Donne, Cloud, or Sykes.

If healthy, Washington can match up with any team in the league and they have not hit their peek this season. Las Vegas may have the all-star lineup but the Mystics have more depth all around.

Right now, the Aces may have better stats all around but the difficulty of repeating may provide unprecedented pressure for the defending champions.

Washington is fresh off of an 83-72 win over the Minnesota Lynx, improving to 17-18 and inching closer to a return to .500. Sykes led the team in scoring with 21 points while Atkins (13), Cloud (12), and EDD (10) chipped in double digits.