Alexa PhilippouESPNO Oct 18, 2023, 10:22pm ET3 minute read
Aces secure back-to-back titles after hectic finish
The Las Vegas Aces win their second straight WNBA title after Courtney Vandersloot missed a potentially game-winning three-pointer.
NEW YORK – The Las Vegas Aces became the WNBA’s first repeat champions in more than 20 years after a 70-69 Game 4 victory over the New York Liberty on Wednesday, winning the finals series 3-1.
Las Vegas completed its title run despite being without starting point guard Chelsea Gray and starting center Kiah Stokes, both of whom suffered foot injuries in Game 3.
But the team viewed the injuries as just another obstacle to overcome in a rollercoaster season on and off the field. The players cited their chemistry and closeness as reasons that allowed them to persevere – and now they are doing the improbable by defeating a strong New York team on home soil, without a defensive force in Stokes and their offensive conductor in Gray.
“This group was formed out of adversity,” coach Becky Hammon said Tuesday. “They were not put together based on the expectations of a super team. They sucked for a long time. … They deserve this moment, they deserve this chance, and now it’s just up to us to take it.” “
Grab it: With Alysha Clark and Cayla George (in her first playoff start) taking Gray and Stokes’ spots in the starting lineup and Sydney Colson going on an extended run, the Aces overcame a 12-point deficit and stormed by two A point lead went into the final frame and never trailed despite a late New York rally in the fourth quarter.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 24 points and 16 rebounds and was named Finals MVP. This added to her collection of trophies and awards, which already included last season’s title, a national title at South Carolina and gold medals with Team USA at the World Cup and Olympics, as well as two league MVP awards. Jackie Young added 16 points and seven assists.
Following their championship in 2022, the Aces were considered favorites to repeat and led the league in offensive rating (113.0, the best in league history) and defensive rating (97.7) during the regular season, securing the title took first place overall with a record of 34-6. However, if anyone got in their way, it was the Liberty, a so-called superteam that signed Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot in the offseason. Two of the Aces’ regular season losses came against the Liberty, who they also defeated in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game.
But in the postseason, Las Vegas played some of its best basketball and solidified its status as one of the greatest teams in WNBA history. They lost just one game in the playoffs, and despite a highly anticipated meeting of the league’s two “super teams,” they defeated New York by a combined 45 points in their first two wins of the series, setting them up for Wednesday’s victory.