The Las Vegas Aces are amid one of the finest regular seasons a team has ever put together on hardwood. They churn out wins while playing the game with a finesse that’s about as far away from machine-like as one could be. They are a special team, and it’s vital to take note of that while we watch them build on their legacy as a group: this is immaculate basketball.

Listen to any player, coach, or staffer on the team, and within 20-30 seconds, you’ll hear the same word come up “Process.” 

They embrace continuous improvement, seeking to refine defensive coverage, shave a tenth of a second off of decisions made in an odd-player advantage, and constantly yearning to better themselves collectively.

“It’s like a metaphor for our season,” says nine-year vet Sydney Colson.

“If we’re continually doing the right things, there might be some moments where people still win some games, where they still hit some big shots, but we’re probably going to come up on the upper hand of a lot of matchups if we’re consistently doing the things that we know we’re supposed to do, and we do them with effort, heart, and playing together.”

Colson acknowledges that a one-game-at-a-time mentality seems cliché, but that cliché is more a representation of their approach to dominance rather than a PR answer. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she especially appreciates the team’s comparisons to the Comets dynasty. But, again, she issues the same sentiment as the rest of the team.

“Our goal right now is to be great every game instead of looking ahead at the championship.”

It’s not said by anyone with arrogance; it comes from confidence and assuredness. This team is at a different level of locked-in, even from who they were as a group last season when they won the franchise’s first title.

It’s easy to forget that this team didn’t come together overnight when watching them play some of the best basketball to grace the hardwood on a nightly basis. Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, and Jackie Young went first overall in three straight drafts (2017-19), making their championship season their fourth year together as a core.

Starting with a three-season stint while the team was still in San Antonio, returning for another in 2019, and then her current stint starting last year, Colson has, in a sense, watched this franchise and its players grow up and blossom.

“Those San Antonio days feel like forever ago,” says Colson with a smile before regaling in how they used to practice in a church gym, Antioch Community Sports Complex, and reflecting on the freshly minted facility the Aces have now.

“I wake up grateful every day to still be in the league and playing the game I love for a job.”

Finding a space in the league was a winding road for Colson, drafted by Connecticut in 2011 and traded on draft day to the Liberty. Then three years overseas in Poland before returning to the W with the (then) Stars. A two-game stint in Minnesota in 2018, her return to the rebranded Aces organization the following year, then a season in Chicago before a year out of the league entirely.

The 2019 season in Vegas, the team’s most successful season since 2012, was the first year in which Colson really had it hit her; “I’m a vet.”

She’s always been a vocal and active leader in locker rooms, but with a young group of starters (Kayla McBride was the oldest at 27) and a veteran group off the bench, she settled into that role even more. 

Over her past three seasons combined, Colson has played less than she did the entirety of the 2019 season in Las Vegas; consistent bench minutes are not guaranteed on the most talented team in the sport. Even without heavy minutes, Colson plays a pivotal part on a championship team.

“I have a consistent role; it’s not on the court, not in minutes played. I know my value and my purpose in life that God has given me,” says Colson.

“It would be disrespectful for me to not show up every day with gratitude that I 1. Have a job 2. That this is the job, to play basketball for a living 3. That I just have a lot of things in life to be grateful for… I show up every day with joy because I know where I’m supposed to be right now.”

While it’s evident that Colson is an immense factor in the team chemistry with her silliness and personality, it’s not as easy to see her impact behind closed doors.

She works daily to keep her game at its peak, maintaining form and striving to make minute improvements that she may well not get to show on the court; she’s okay with that. She knows her role and purpose.

For perhaps the best-prepared team in the league, one that is meticulous about the process, ironing out through reps and honing themselves in practice, Colson shines. Especially considering how little a professional team gets to have a live practice outside of a walkthrough, creating the best possible environment is essential.

Colson will mimic the likes of guards around the league for the scout team; Crystal Dangerfield slaloming into off-the-dribble twos one day, Jordin Canada hounding defensively and driving to the paint relentlessly the next.

There’s a beauty in what she brings, one that you don’t see play out on ESPN nightly from her. Yet, you do see it emanate from the Aces. This team has an “all as one” mentality. The way they fly around and communicate on defense, stifling plays before they can develop, Colson plays a part through her commitment to detail and the reps she puts up in practice. You see shades of Colson through how the team moves the ball when opposing defenders play to their tendencies, which she replicates in the gym during lead-ups to a game.

“When you’re not doing anything to bring anyone harm, and you’re getting up and just pursuing your craft, doing what you love… to me, you should be able to find joy in that,” says Colson.

“It just happens to be that we do a public thing, so when you don’t play, people are like “What, how can you be happy?! How can you do this,” but I really don’t give a f*** about what people say, so that helps too.” 

Social media captures Colson’s smile, humor, and positivity; it doesn’t capture her full importance and impact on the reigning champs. She’s seen the Aces as individuals and an organization blossom over the past eight years while continually crafting herself, carving out an indispensable role for a team striving for excellence.

WNBA reporter Mark Schindler writes a column on WNBA.com throughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at @MG_Schindler. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.