19 October 2023 , 13:03
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The Las Vegas Aces defended their WNBA crown as they defeated the New York Liberty to become the first team to repeat in over 20 years and spark wild celebrations.
The Aces, led by superstar A’ja Wilson, secured a 70-69 victory over the Liberty in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals at the Barclays Center. Wilson's 24-point, 16-rebound performance ensurd the team staved off the Liberty and reclaim their throne to represent the first back-to-bac champions since Lisa Leslie’s Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002.
Becky Hammon’s Aces overcame injuries and the threat of New York’s highly-acclaimed ‘Superteam’ to finish the regular season with a 34-6 record. Las Vegas found form at the right time, losing just once on a dominant run through the postseason to ultimately cement themselves as on the of the WNBA’s greatest ever teams.
After the final buzzer sounded, the Aces emotionally celebrated. Players embraced before getting their hands on the WNBA championship, with Wilson handed Finals MVP honors. Aces owner Mark Davis even appeared on court and began dancing, busting out moves as Wilson and the Las Vegas team stood encircled around the 68-year-old chanting: ‘Go Mark, go Mark!’
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Wilson then posted a video on Instagram of her singing and dancing to Kirk Franklin in the locker room with her triumphant Aces teammates. She then joined head coach Hammon and Alysha Clark in what would become a chaotic post-game press conference with champagne in hand to speak about the championship win.
Clark called out the unidentified reporter who was the lone person to vote A’ja Wilson in fourth place in the MVP race. Wilson won the MVP in 2022 but missed out on the award this season to Breanna Stewart, whose Liberty lost to the Aces in the Finals. No one owned up to the vote in the room.
The press conference truly threatened to spiral out of control when Wilson and Clark reacted hilariously to a question about Wilson’s ‘failed repeat in college’. Wilson led South Carolina to the National Championship in 2017 and didn’t win a second title, and the 27-year-old was amazed by the question.
While Clark and other teammates jokingly heckled the reporter for the audacious question, Wilson said: “I can’t hear Emily because she just straight dissed me just now.”
Las Vegas Aces owner Mark Davis - who also owns the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders - celebrated on court after the WNBA title winThe celebratory press conference came to a conclusion when the rest of the team swarmed into the media room as Clark, Wilson and Hammon spoke. They brough a speaker with them, blasting ‘Knuck If You Buck’ while belting out the lyrics.
Wilson, a two-time Finals MVP, eventually quietened her teammates to say: “This is what it’s all about to have your name sketched in history right now with other teams - we never gave up. This is a moment we need to celebrate. This is a moment not a lot of people get the chance to do so for us to get a chance to do it and be shorthanded is truly amazing.”
As the Aces continued to celebrate with ski masks and champagne aplenty, Wilson added: “Back to back champs you already know what it is - the Aces!”
Wilson and the Aces essentially dropped the mic to end the press conference before leaving with their music blasting Drake’s hit ‘Back to Back’ in victory. The Aces - whose championship parade will run down the iconic Las Vegas strip on Monday - will now turn their attention to becoming the WNBA’s first three-peat champions since the Houston Comets.