The Las Vegas Aces are WNBA champions. The Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun 3-1 to win the WNBA Finals series.
The score of the final game in Uncasville, CT was 87-81. The Aces are bringing Las Vegas its first-ever professional championship trophy.
Chelsea Gray led the way in the final game of the season with 20 points and six assists. She averaged 18.3 points in the championship series to win WNBA Finals MVP.
The win caps off a great season for the Aces, who were -110 favorites to win the WNBA Championship before the season started. While the team had ups and downs during the season, the Aces were still favored at Nevada sportsbooks to win the WNBA Championship heading into the playoffs.
This is the first championship for the franchise that moved to Las Vegas from San Antonio. The Aces also brought owner Mark Davis a championship.
This is quite a feat for the owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Davis skipped the Raiders’ home opener so he could celebrate with the Aces.
Las Vegas will celebrate the win with a rally and short parade on the Vegas Strip on Tuesday.
The Aces are a team in the perfect city with celebrity and athlete fans that could take the WNBA’s popularity to another level.
The Las Vegas Aces are the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 𝗪𝗡𝗕𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 🏆#RaiseTheStakes pic.twitter.com/KaV2cijHYf
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 18, 2022
Las Vegas Aces are future favorites at Nevada sportsbooks
While Gray was the Finals MVP, she wasn’t the best player on the best team during the regular season. A’ja Wilson was the regular season MVP award winner.
The Aces are already favorites to win the 2023 WNBA Championship.
Westgate Superbook opened the Aces as the 9/4 favorite to bring the trophy back to Las Vegas again next season. This team is loaded with stars that will take the team into the future.
The “Big 3” of A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum all signed multi-year contract extensions. 2022 WNBA Most Improved Player, Jackie Young, also signed a multi-year extension this year.
In addition to the best players remaining with the Aces, the team has an exceptional coach.
Aces have the highest paid WNBA coach
A championship is never guaranteed but the Aces were stacked with talent starting with the highest-paid head coach. Becky Hammon left the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs to become head coach of the Aces.
Hammon makes more than any other WNBA coach with a salary of $1 million per season.
This was not only a great year for the players but also for the head coach of the Aces. In addition to winning the WNBA Championship for the first time in franchise history, Hammon saw the following accolades this season.
- Commissioner’s Cup Championship
- Coach of the Year
- All-Star Head Coach
- Best Overall Record
Hammon signed a five-year deal so the Aces’ championship reign could continue well into the future.
Celebrating the championship on the Vegas Strip
Las Vegas will celebrate the Aces WNBA Championship on the Vegas Strip this Tuesday at 5:30 pm. This celebration will close a small part of the Vegas Strip for a few hours.
There will be a short half-mile parade from Caesars Palace to the Bellagio Fountains. The Aces will address fans from in front of the iconic fountains.
While the parade will be short, there isn’t much more of a beautiful backdrop in Las Vegas for a celebration.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman is ready to party with the Aces. On Sunday night, she tweeted:
The Aces are a fun team and this celebration should be a blast for all in attendance.
Las Vegas Aces are taking the WNBA to another level
The Aces are among the most popular WNBA teams. There is no other team in the league that has similar support from fans, celebrities, professional athletes and even a worldwide casino operator.
Celebrities and other professional athletes are often watching the games at the Michelob Ultra Arena inside Mandalay Bay.
A slew of former and current NBA players including Ty Lue, Kyle Lowry, Buddy Hield and Ja Morant showed up for game 2 of the WNBA Finals in Las Vegas.
While some athletes take to the court, the greatest quarterback in the NFL, Tom Brady, took to Twitter to shout out Kelsey Plum and the Aces.
Lets go! @LVAces @Kelseyplum10 @WNBA https://t.co/fpR6widy9f
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) September 19, 2022
Sharing an owner with the Las Vegas Raiders doesn’t hurt to increase the Aces’ popularity in Sin City. There was a live cut-in to see the Aces celebrating their win during the Raiders game at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.
MGM Resorts purchased the Aces before selling the team to Davis. The worldwide casino operator is currently a partner with the team that plays at an arena inside an MGM casino.
Between the great players and coach along with ownership, celebrity fans and support from other professional athletes, the Las Vegas Aces could be the team to take the WNBA to a new level of popularity.
