DOUBLE DOWN: How the Las Vegas Aces Won Back-to-Back Championships and Became the Greatest WNBA Team

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DOUBLE DOWN HOW THE LAS VEGAS ACES WON BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS AND BECAME THE GREATEST WNBA TEAM IN HISTORY


Acknowledgments Writers Marvin Clemons, Sam Gordon, Ed Graney, Andy Yamashita

Photographers L.E. Baskow, Steel Brooks, K.M. Cannon, Madeline Carter, Daniel Pearson, Ellen Schmidt

Graphic artist Wes Rand

Copy editors Steve Beaudry, Greg Robertson

Special thanks

FRONT COVER: Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson celebrates after scoring during the second half of a game against the New York Liberty at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Aug. 17, 2023, in Las Vegas. E LLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

J. Keith Moyer, Publisher and Editor Glenn Cook, Executive Editor Anastasia Hendrix, Managing Editor Allen Leiker, Sports Editor Nathan Estep, Assistant Managing Editor/Visuals Benjamin Hager, Director of Photography

Presenting Sponsor

Copyright © 2023 by Las Vegas Review-Journal All Rights Reserved • ISBN: 978-1-63846-085-5 No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner or the publisher. Published by Pediment Publishing, a division of The Pediment Group, Inc. • www.pediment.com Printed in Canada. This book is an unofficial account of the Las Vegas Aces' 2023 season and is not endorsed by the WNBA or the Las Vegas Aces. 2 • INTRODUCTION


TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5 2022 Season Recap ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6 2023 Regular Season Highlights ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 10 The Playoffs �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17 The Finals �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 49 The Parade ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 73 Presenting Sponsor �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������78 Las Vegas Aces 2023 Roster �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 80

LEFT: The Las Vegas Aces’ trophies are on display during a celebration of the team’s WNBA basketball championship win over the New York Liberty at Toshiba Plaza, Oct. 23, 2023, in Las Vegas. E LLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL INTRODUCTION • 3


16 • THE PLAYOFFS


THE PLAYOFFS

Aces take care of business, romp past Sky in playoff opener By Andy Yamashita / Sept. 13, 2023

A

S TIME EXPIRED IN THE FIRST half, Aces guard Kelsey Plum launched a shot from half-court to beat the buzzer. The ball kissed off the backboard and rolled around the inside of the rim before harmlessly bouncing out. It was about the only thing that went wrong for the Aces in their playoff opener. The top-seeded Aces took care of business Wednesday, securing a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series against the No. 8 Chicago Sky with an 87-59 win in front of 12,927 fans at T-Mobile Arena. “We’re not going to be satisfied over one win,” reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson said. “Yes, we’re not going to take this win for granted, and we’re going to embrace it, but we’ve got a couple more to win.” Five Aces reached double figures in scoring, led by guard Chelsea Gray’s 20-point, seven-assist performance. Guard Jackie Young scored 18 and made three 3-pointers, while Plum had 16 points. Wilson added 14 points, while reserve forward Alysha Clark had 13 points in her first playoff game with the Aces. All-Star guard Kahleah Copper scored 15 points for the Sky. No other Chicago player reached double figures. The Aces can advance to the WNBA

semifinals by winning Game 2 at noon Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena. Defense shines All season, Aces coach Becky Hammon has asked her team to play a full 40 minutes of defense. The Aces answered against the Sky. Chicago shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and went 5 of 22 from 3. The Aces also forced 14 turnovers, which they turned into 16 points. Sky coach Emre Vatansever said the Aces congested the floor and were active in Chicago’s passing lanes, as his team only managed 14 assists. Wilson credited starting center Kiah Stokes for the Aces’ defensive performance. Hammon said her team was engaged defensively from the beginning. While they mixed in some different defenses on Copper, the team’s focus and effort was the difference, Hammon said. “The second and third effort was there tonight,” Hammon said. “Sometimes that can be missing in Game 33, but it was there tonight.” Balanced ‘Core Four’ The Aces’ offense fired on all cylinders during their Game 1 romp, as all four of the team’s All-Stars led a balanced barrage in

ROUND 1 • GAME 1 SEPT. 13

VS

CHICAGO

W 87–59 the first half. Plum led all scorers with 13 points at the break, while Wilson, Gray and Young also reached double figures in the first half. The “Core Four” combined to shoot 25 of 58, scoring 68 points. Gray and Young had 13 assists between them. “Player movement and ball movement, that made the difference,” Gray said. Hammon shortens bench Hammon was bound to cut her already short rotation down at some point in the playoffs. Reserve guards Sydney Colson and Kierstan Bell played fewer than four minutes each in the first half. Australian center Cayla George, who averaged 10.2 minutes per game across the Aces’ final six regular-season games, didn’t play until Hammon pulled her starters. ◆

OPPOSITE: Guard Kelsey Plum lines up a shot against Sky center Elizabeth Williams during the Aces’ 87-59 win at Michelob Ultra Arena. Plum scored 16 points. E LLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL THE PLAYOFFS • 17


ABOVE: Sky guard Marina Mabrey (4) tries to impede guard Kelsey Plum’s path to the basket during the Aces’ 87-59 win at Michelob Ultra Arena. E LLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

RIGHT: Guard Chelsea Gray keeps the ball from Sky guard Kahleah Copper. Gray scored a team-high 20 points. ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

18 • THE PLAYOFFS


ABOVE: Guard Jackie Young lines up a shot over Sky center Elizabeth Williams during the Aces’ 87-59 win at Michelob Ultra Arena. Young scored 18 points. E LLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

LEFT: Guard Chelsea Gray leaves Sky guard Kahleah Copper in her wake while starting a fast break. Gray had seven assists. ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

THE PLAYOFFS • 19


72 • THE PARADE


THE PARADE

‘Three-peat’ talk begins as Aces celebrate world title again By Marvin Clemons / Oct. 23, 2023

T

ENS OF THOUSANDS OF FANS gathered Monday at Toshiba Plaza for the Las Vegas Aces’ back-toback championship celebration. It didn’t take long for talk of winning a third straight WNBA title began. Aces owner Mark Davis was seated in the front seat of the first double-decker bus as the entourage headed the short distance to the stage and red carpet. Aces fans filled the plaza in anticipation of the season-ending celebration. The event ran from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in front of T-Mobile Arena. The Aces, 34-6 overall, defeated the New York Liberty 70-69 last Wednesday to win the 2023 WNBA title, repeating their title from 2022.

Aces pop-up merchandise shops were open in the area. The Aces were throwing hundreds of T-shirts and other merchandise from the buses. Several Aces were seen wearing black T-shirts with white lettering saying “Aces vs. Everybody.” It was their slogan for the season. The parade began at 5 p.m. and headed north from Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard South, arriving at the plaza about 5:25 p.m. The Aces spent the past weekend celebrating several nights at several Las Vegas Strip nightclubs and restaurants. A red carpet stretched from the New York-New York Connector Drive in front of a stage. Players, coaches, team personnel

and dignitaries walked the red carpet to the stage. Kelsey Plum said Monday morning that most of the players are expected back for next season, so talk of a “three-peat” was undoubtedly going to come up. Plum sauntered onto the platform smoking a victory cigar, blowing a puff of smoke at center stage. Injured All-Star Chelsea Gray wheeled in on a scooter while A’ja Wilson, the Finals MVP, carried the championship trophy as the team gathered behind the stage before greeting the crowd. World champions again Davis spoke first, telling the crowd, “We are still world champions.” Team president Nikki Fargas brought up the first “three-peat” right after Davis spoke. Language turned rather salty with coach Becky Hammon even letting a profanity slip, quickly noting that she’d have to fine herself. Several players spoke, with many talking about going for a third straight title. Almost all expressed their love for their teammates, the franchise, Davis, Hammon and especially their fans. “A lot of people doubted us,” said two-time MVP Wilson, who was snubbed as the league MVP for a third time, finishing third in the voting.

ABOVE: The Aces celebrate their second straight WNBA championship with a parade down Las Vegas Boulevard. E LLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL OPPOSITE: Forward A’ja Wilson holds the WNBA championship trophy during the Aces’ parade. E LLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL THE PARADE • 73


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