Las Vegas Aces win game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals on October 18, 2023 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.Photo:David Dow/NBAE via Getty
David Dow/NBAE via Getty
Work hard, play hard.
The Las Vegas Aces made history on Wednesday night when they defeated the New York Liberty 70-69 in a thrilling, down-to-the-buzzer win.
The victory marked the Aces' second consecutive WNBA championship, becoming the first team in the league to win two titles in a row since the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2001-02 season.
The team enjoyed an emotional celebration on the court after the final buzzer as commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the 2023 champions. “What a game, what a series,” Engelbert said on the floor at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn.
After the win, head coach Becky Hammon toldSportsCenter, “This team has dealt with a lot of adversity this year,” referencing her suspension to start the season and losing players likeCandace Parkerto injury.
Las Vegas Aces win game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals on October 18, 2023 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.David Dow/NBAE via Getty
Hammon continued to reflect on the successful, yet challenging, season for her team. “It shouldn’t be easy. it should be hard as heck to go in there and repeat, and it was,” she said on SportsCenter.
Aces starA’ja Wilsonposted 24 points and 16 rebounds in Wednesday’s Finals win to become the Finals MVP, whileKelsey Plumrecorded five assists and eight rebounds to help seal the victory.
Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu had 13 points in the defeat.
MVP Wilson posted her immediate reactions on X, formerly Twitter, after leaving the court. “I’m so blessed ! God is so good,” shewrotein a post.
Before taking the podium to speak to reporters, Coach Hammon and her players turned the locker room at Barclay’s Center into a dance party to celebrate the historic win.
Hammon was seen dancing while her players hyped her up to the song “Tootsee Roll” as the champs popped champagne bottles.
Despite not playing in the second half of the season,Candace Parkerbecame the first player in WNBA history to win three rings with three separate franchises after the Aces' 2023 title. Parker won with the Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks previously.
Head Coach Becky Hammon, Jackie Young #0, Kelsey Plum #10, Chelsea Gray #12 and MVP A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces pose for a portrait after winning game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals on October 18, 2023.David Dow/NBAE via Getty
NFL legendTom Brady, a partial owner in the Aces, congratulated the team after the win on Instagram.
“So proud of these women and this organization,” Brady wrote, adding that the championship win “took everyone’s best shot all year long” and that the team “never stumbled.”
source: people.com
