Best Moments From the Las Vegas Aces' 2023 WNBA Championship Run
The Las Vegas Aces are once again WNBA Champions after knocking out the Liberty in game four of the WNBA Finals. The win was the Aces' ninth of the playoffs and gave them a 9-1 record!
Keep reading to relive the five best moments of the Las Vegas Aces' 2023 WNBA championship run.
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
The Las Vegas Aces needed to make a statement in the opening round, and that’s precisely what they accomplished on September 13. It all started with an 87-59 victory over the Chicago Sky that proved just how good the Aces were. Chelsea Grey led the way with 20 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.
Jackie Young dropped 18 points and six assists for good measure. Another key player was A’ja Wilson, who contributed 14 points, one assist, and eight rebounds. The second game was just as wild, with the Aces outscoring the Sky 92-70 to end the series in a dominant sweep.
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Another series, another chance to make a statement. This time, it was the Las Vegas Aces taking on the Dallas Wings in game one of the second round to determine who went to the Finals. The Aces pulled off a 97-83 victory and improved to a 3-0 undefeated streak in the playoffs, a strong preview of how the rest of the playoffs would go.
A’ja Wilson led the charge by dropping 33 points, one assist, and eight rebounds. She was backed up by Kelsey Plum, who contributed 25 points, four assists and five rebounds. Another key statistic about this game is it marks the third straight time that the Aces outscored an opponent by more than ten.
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Both teams came into this game with a goal. For the Aces, it was a chance to make it to the WNBA Finals for the third time in four years and cement their place in history. As for the Wings, this was their final opportunity to keep their season alive.
The Liberty held a five-point lead at halftime. Things looked bad for the Aces here, prompting some to believe the series would be kept alive. Instead, however, the Aces bounced back and outscored the Liberty by four in the final period to win 64-61.
A huge turning point in this game was the third quarter, where the Aces first chipped away at the lead. They finally put up more points in a quarter than their opponents, which had to feel good after so much back and forth. A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young all came up big here.
Related: 5 most underappreciated Las Vegas sports athletes
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Source YouTube[/caption]
There is no better way to start a series than with two straight victories. The first game in the Finals was a 99-82 blowout that saw Las Vegas run up the score constantly. Three Aces players scored 20 or more points in what quickly became a lopsided victory.
Kelsey Plum scored 26 points, one assist, and five rebounds, while Jackie Young dropped 26 points of her own. Young also contributed four assists and five rebounds. Their next game took place a few days later and featured a 104-76 beatdown that put the Aces up 2-0 in the series. One game away from the championship.
A’Ja Wilson put up 26 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists, but she wasn’t the only one putting up rockstar numbers. Chelsea Grey contributed 14 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds.
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Source. Facebook[/caption]
The Las Vegas Aces are now among a select group of teams to have back-to-back WNBA Title wins. The Aces secured this honor with a victory over the Liberty in what was their toughest game of the playoffs. The two teams just threw haymaker after haymaker. It all seemed to come down to defense, however.
The Liberty needed the victory to force a game five, but the Aces' defense managed to stop several late shots from Courtney Vandersloot to take the victory. The final score was 70-69 in probably one of the best WNBA Finals games ever.
A’ja Wilson led the charge with 24 points and 16 rebounds. Cayla George and Alyshya Clark both had solid games filling in for their injured teammates. It's important to remember that the Aces were without Chelsea Grey and Kiah Stokes due to foot injuries earlier in the series.
George contributed four rebounds, while Clark put up 10 points, two assists, and eight rebounds. Another major contributor was Jackie Young, with 16 points, seven assists, and two rebounds in the final game of the series. Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon is now the first woman in WNBA history to win back-to-back titles.
What a time to be a Las Vegas Aces fan!
Next: 5 craziest NASCAR Playoff moments at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Keep reading to relive the five best moments of the Las Vegas Aces' 2023 WNBA championship run.
#5 Las Vegas Aces sweep Chicago Sky in back-to-back games
[caption id="attachment_40469" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]The Las Vegas Aces needed to make a statement in the opening round, and that’s precisely what they accomplished on September 13. It all started with an 87-59 victory over the Chicago Sky that proved just how good the Aces were. Chelsea Grey led the way with 20 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.
Jackie Young dropped 18 points and six assists for good measure. Another key player was A’ja Wilson, who contributed 14 points, one assist, and eight rebounds. The second game was just as wild, with the Aces outscoring the Sky 92-70 to end the series in a dominant sweep.
#4 Aces continue undefeated streak with round two opener victory
[caption id="attachment_40470" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Another series, another chance to make a statement. This time, it was the Las Vegas Aces taking on the Dallas Wings in game one of the second round to determine who went to the Finals. The Aces pulled off a 97-83 victory and improved to a 3-0 undefeated streak in the playoffs, a strong preview of how the rest of the playoffs would go.
A’ja Wilson led the charge by dropping 33 points, one assist, and eight rebounds. She was backed up by Kelsey Plum, who contributed 25 points, four assists and five rebounds. Another key statistic about this game is it marks the third straight time that the Aces outscored an opponent by more than ten.
#3 Las Vegas eliminates the Wings in a close game-three matchup
[caption id="attachment_40471" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Both teams came into this game with a goal. For the Aces, it was a chance to make it to the WNBA Finals for the third time in four years and cement their place in history. As for the Wings, this was their final opportunity to keep their season alive.
The Liberty held a five-point lead at halftime. Things looked bad for the Aces here, prompting some to believe the series would be kept alive. Instead, however, the Aces bounced back and outscored the Liberty by four in the final period to win 64-61.
A huge turning point in this game was the third quarter, where the Aces first chipped away at the lead. They finally put up more points in a quarter than their opponents, which had to feel good after so much back and forth. A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young all came up big here.
Related: 5 most underappreciated Las Vegas sports athletes
#2 Aces lap the Liberty in the first two games of the WNBA Finals
[caption id="attachment_40472" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source YouTube[/caption]There is no better way to start a series than with two straight victories. The first game in the Finals was a 99-82 blowout that saw Las Vegas run up the score constantly. Three Aces players scored 20 or more points in what quickly became a lopsided victory.
Kelsey Plum scored 26 points, one assist, and five rebounds, while Jackie Young dropped 26 points of her own. Young also contributed four assists and five rebounds. Their next game took place a few days later and featured a 104-76 beatdown that put the Aces up 2-0 in the series. One game away from the championship.
A’Ja Wilson put up 26 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists, but she wasn’t the only one putting up rockstar numbers. Chelsea Grey contributed 14 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds.
#1 The Las Vegas Aces win back-to-back WNBA Titles
[caption id="attachment_40473" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. Facebook[/caption]The Las Vegas Aces are now among a select group of teams to have back-to-back WNBA Title wins. The Aces secured this honor with a victory over the Liberty in what was their toughest game of the playoffs. The two teams just threw haymaker after haymaker. It all seemed to come down to defense, however.
The Liberty needed the victory to force a game five, but the Aces' defense managed to stop several late shots from Courtney Vandersloot to take the victory. The final score was 70-69 in probably one of the best WNBA Finals games ever.
A’ja Wilson led the charge with 24 points and 16 rebounds. Cayla George and Alyshya Clark both had solid games filling in for their injured teammates. It's important to remember that the Aces were without Chelsea Grey and Kiah Stokes due to foot injuries earlier in the series.
George contributed four rebounds, while Clark put up 10 points, two assists, and eight rebounds. Another major contributor was Jackie Young, with 16 points, seven assists, and two rebounds in the final game of the series. Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon is now the first woman in WNBA history to win back-to-back titles.
What a time to be a Las Vegas Aces fan!
Next: 5 craziest NASCAR Playoff moments at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.