Sunday’s Game 4 victory over the Connecticut Sun on the road by a score of 78-71 propelled the Las Vegas Aces to their first WNBA championship.
Gray shot 9 of 13 from the field and was awarded MVP after averaging 18 points per game throughout the stretch. With two days of rest, the Aces advanced to 4-0 in this year’s playoffs.
Riquna Williams added 17 points Kelsey Plum added 16 points, Jackie Young had 13, and league MVP A’ja Wilson contributed 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Aces.
Vegas concluded with an 8-0 record. As the buzzer sounded, Wilson seized the ball and pounded on the ground before being surrounded by her teammates.
We triumph! We triumph! We triumph!” Wilson yelled at teammates as they donned their championship hats and T-shirts before to the presentation of the trophy.
Connecticut Sun’s DeWanna Bonner, left, and Brionna Jones (42) defend Las Vegas Aces’ Chelsea Gray (12) during the second half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series on Sunday, September 18, 2022 in Uncasville. Conn. AP/Jessica Hill
It is the first major professional sports championship for a Las Vegas franchise, and Wilson hopes this is just the beginning.
“You see it. You see it, “Wilson exclaimed during the celebration on the court. “This is what we are constructing. This is the course of action. That’s it. I am really thrilled at the moment.”
Courtney Williams led Connecticut with 17 points, while Alyssa Thomas recorded her second consecutive triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. Jonquel Jones and DeWanna Bonner each contributed 13 points.
Las Vegas held a two-point lead at halftime and a four-point advantage after three quarters.
The ring ended a decades-long search for Aces coach Becky Hammon, who never won a championship during her stellar WNBA career. She left her position as an assistant coach with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs to become the head coach in Las Vegas, and the move was profitable.
“They’re terrific on the court, but they’re even more incredible as people,” Hammon added. “They care for one another. Each invests in the other. It has been an incredible pleasure serving as their coach. I observed excellence and desired to partake in it.”
Hammon also paid tribute to former Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer, who was in attendance. Hammon stated, “He put this team together and saw the components.”
Mark Davis, who also owns the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL, was not with his football club on Sunday. He was in Connecticut to receive an award. He hoisted it, then passed it to delighted teammates who repeated the action.
Davis declared, “Las Vegas, we are world champions”
Kelsey Plum was called for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter after running into Bonner as the Sun guard attempted a 3-pointer and sending her to the floor grabbing her right ankle. Bonner made all three free throws before a short jumper by Jonquel Jones trimmed the lead to one point. Courtney Williams’ free throw knotted the game at 67, and Brionna Jones’ two free throws gave the Sun the lead at 71-70.
However, Las Vegas had the solutions.
With less than a minute remaining, a 3-pointer by Riquna Williams and a step-back jumper by Chelsea Gray restored the Aces’ lead to 75-71. A’Ja Wilson then stole the ball and Plum made a short jumper to seal the victory.
Bonner scored first with a shot from the left flank. However, Kelsey Plum’s 3-pointer from the left baseline began a 12-0 run that propelled Vegas to an early 16-6 lead. The Aces, who allowed the Sun to score 34 points in the first quarter of Sunday’s Game 3, led 16-12 after 10 minutes.
Gray, who overcome previous catastrophic injuries that threatened to derail her career, was the WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 18.3 points and 6 assists.
Gray cried while proclaiming, “My teammates are incredible.” “I labored so diligently for this.”
This season, she was neither a WNBA All-Star nor a first-team all-league selection, and she expressed her unhappiness.
She ultimately had the final say.
Gray stated, “They can keep the All-Star and first team.” I obtained the ring.
SCRAPPY GAME:
As expected, it was a physical game played on a Sunday NFL game day. Bonner took an accidental elbow to the gut from Gray late in the first quarter and was on the floor for a few minutes before being assisted to the bench. This gave the Sun pause. She re-entered the game later in the half with no obvious negative effects. In the second quarter, Natisha Hiedeman and Plum engaged in a brief pushing match, resulting in technical fouls for both players. That was prior to Plum’s egregious infraction in the fourth.
INCLUSIVE BUSINESSES:
Before the Final, both coaches pondered on the composition of their respective teams. The Aces are led by Hammon and two African-American female executives, general manager Nikki Williams and president of business operations Nikki Fargas. The Sun are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, their president is a woman named Jen Rizzotti, and their coach is a gay man named Curt Miller.
“Women’s basketball is a remarkable example of diversity and inclusiveness. Miller stated, “I mean, our league defines it, and I’m really pleased to be a part of it,” adding that he hopes to be an inspiration to any LGBT child “wondering if they can pursue a career in sports.”
Hammon stated that she believes the diverse front office of her squad has made it stronger.
“With a box of crayons, you can create a far nicer picture than with only a pencil,” she remarked.
RAIDERS’ SUPPORT:
During the Raiders’ NFL game against Arizona on Sunday, the beginning of the celebration was displayed on the stadium’s television boards, eliciting huge screams from the crowd. On Thursday evening, there will be a parade on the Las Vegas Strip, so they may cheer even more in a few days.
“What a squad, what ability, what a triumph! You have made Las Vegas extremely proud!” The mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, stated in a statement. “I appreciate your effort, discipline, and concentration. We cannot wait for the festivities and procession!”
TIP-INS:
The Aces are the fourth WNBA champion to have a league MVP and coach of the year. The Sun have returned to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2019 after finishing among the final four teams in each of the previous four seasons.