BROOKLYN, NY (October 18, 2023)—The Las Vegas Aces fought through every bit of adversity thrown at them all season and in the end, came out on top as 2023 WNBA champions. The team lost their Point Gawd and starting center in Game 3, but rallied for a 70-69 victory in Game 4 in Brooklyn on Wednesday night. 2023 Finals M’VP A’ja Wilson led the attack with 24 points and 16 rebounds, Jackie Young scored 16 points and passed out 7 assists, Cayla George tied her 2023 high of 11 points and Alysha Clark contributed 10 points and 8 boards. Courtney Vandersloot scored 19 points to lead four Liberty players who scored in double figures.
Box Score | Photos | Highlights
KEY RUNS
First Quarter Highlights (New York 23, Las Vegas 13)
The Aces held a 9-5 lead early, but back-to-back 3s launched a 16-2 Liberty run for a 21-11 lead. The Liberty closed the quarter up 23-13. The Aces shot 37.5% from the field, but just 25% from 3-point, while the Liberty hit 36.8% of their field goal attempts and went 4 of 7 from distance. Vandersloot led the Liberty with 9 points and Clark and Wilson had 4 apiece for the Aces. Las Vegas gave up 7 points on 8 turnovers and scored just 2 on 4 Liberty miscues.
Second Quarter Highlights (New York 39, Las Vegas 30)
The Aces notched the first 5 points of the quarter and outscored the Liberty 15-6 in all, in closing the gap to 29-28 with just under 4 minutes to play before half. The Liberty responded with a 10-2 spurt for a 39-30 halftime score. George, Wilson and Plum scored 5 apiece, while the Liberty’s Betnijah Laney had 4. The Aces netted 6 of 11 from 2-point range, but went 1 of 8 from distance, while the Liberty shot 7 of 17 overall and 2 of 7 from 3-point.
Third Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 52, New York 51)
After the Liberty increased their lead to 44-32 early in the third, George hit a pair of 3s in a 10-2 Aces run to pull back to 46-42. After a 5-2 Liberty spurt, the Aces reeled off 9-straight points over the final 1:43 to take a 53-51 lead with 10 minutes to play. The Aces hit 50% of their field goal attempts while limiting the Liberty to 25% of theirs. Wilson had 9 points and 6 rebounds, while the Liberty were led by 5 from Sabrina Ionescu.
Fourth Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 70, New York 69)
The Aces led by as many as 7 and never trailed in the final stanza. After the third knotted score, 64-all at 2:44, the Aces scored the next 6 points for a 70-64 lead with 1:27 to play. The Liberty scored the next 5 points but were unable to push the series to Game 5. Young scored 9 for the Aces and 2 players had 5 each for the Liberty.
KEY STATS
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The Aces were held to 41.8% of their field goal attempts and 23.8% from distance, while the Liberty shot 36.1% overall and 34.6% from beyond the arc.
Las Vegas made 9 of 11 free throws while New York went 8 for 12.
The Aces dominated the paint, outscoring the Liberty 44-24.
The Liberty outscored the Aces 17-4 on the fast break and the teams were an even 7-7 on second chances.
New York held a 39-38 edge on the glass.
GAME NOTES
There have now been 18 5-game series in WNBA postseason history in which one team has won the first 2 games. All 18 of those teams have gone on to win the series—14 via a sweep, 4 in 4 games, and 1 who got pushed to a decisive Game 5.
Wilson collected her 18th playoff double-double (24 points, 16 rebounds), which is tied for 5th in W playoff history.
In addition to Candace Parker, who has been out since after the July 7 loss to Dallas, the Aces were without the services of Chelsea Gray (left foot) and Kiah Stokes (right foot) for the first time this season.
NEXT UP
The Aces will celebrate their back-to-back WNBA championships with a parade on Monday, Oct. 23. Details to come.
FAQs
The Las Vegas Aces made history on Wednesday night when they defeated the New York Liberty 70-69 in a thrilling, down-to-the-buzzer win. The victory marked the Aces' second consecutive WNBA championship, becoming the first team in the league to win two titles in a row since the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2001-02 season.
What WNBA team won back to back championships? ›
The Aces joined the Los Angeles Sparks (2001-02) and the Houston Comets (1997-2000) as the only teams in league history to win consecutive titles. Las Vegas did it without starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes, who were both sidelined with foot injuries suffered in Game 3.
Are the Las Vegas Aces world champion? ›
The Aces won back-to-back championships in 2023, becoming the first WNBA franchise to repeat the feat since 2002. More impressively, they did so without 2022 Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and center Kiah Stokes, both of whom were sidelined with injuries for the title-clinching Game 4.
How many titles have the Las Vegas Aces won? ›
Las Vegas enters the 2024 campaign on the heels of a dominant two-year run where they've twice been crowned as champions. Since Becky Hammon took over as head coach, Las Vegas has gone a combined 60-16 in the regular season and 16-3 in the playoffs en route to capturing the franchise's first two WNBA titles.
What WNBA team has never won a championship? ›
The New York Liberty have the most Finals appearances (5) without winning a championship.
Who has 4 rings in the WNBA? ›
Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson of the four-peat Houston Comets and Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx are the only WNBA players with four championships.
Who is the best WNBA team of all time? ›
1. Houston Comets (1998) At 27-3, the 1998 Houston Comets still own the highest winning percentage (. 900) in WNBA history.
How much do Las Vegas Aces players make? ›
Young earns $252,450 a season, meaning she would get a 40% bonus. The other top earners on the Aces, Wilson and Kelsey Plum, each make $200,000 a year. For them the LVCVA's sponsorship pay would amount to half their base salary. Those salaries are a fraction of those earned by the highest-paid NBA players.
Did the Las Vegas Aces sell out? ›
(AP) — The Las Vegas Aces have sold out 15 of their 20 home games. It's the most in WNBA history. Las Vegas in March became the first team to sell out its allotment of season tickets. The only games where individual tickets remain at Michelob Ultra Arena are Tuesday against the Phoenix Mercury, Aug.
What are the odds of the Las Vegas Aces winning the title? ›
2024 WNBA Championship odds: Aces favored; Caitlin Clark, Fever's odds tumble. With the WNBA season in full swing, title odds are already on the move. After the WNBA Draft, reigning champion Las Vegas' odds moved to +100 after opening at +115. Now, at 3-1, those odds have shifted to +105.
The Aces, who are owned by Mark and Carol Davis, the current owners of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, and Tom Brady, are one of three WNBA franchises who compete in a market that lacks a current NBA team; the other two teams are the Connecticut Sun and the Seattle Storm.
Which casino in Vegas wins the most? ›
The Mirage tops the list as the luckiest casino in Las Vegas with a 6.03% 'good luck' rating on TripAdvisor, thanks to its extensive table games and high winning streak.
What is significant about the Las Vegas Aces championship win? ›
NEW YORK (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces became the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back WNBA championships, getting 24 points and 16 rebounds from A'ja Wilson and a defensive stop in the closing seconds to beat the New York Liberty 70-69 in Game 4 of the Finals on Wednesday night.
How many rings does the Las Vegas Aces have? ›
LAS VEGAS (May 14, 2024)—After receiving their 2023 WNBA Championship rings and raising their second championship banner in as many years, the Las Vegas Aces (1-0) downed the Phoenix Mercury (0-1) 89-80 on Tuesday night in front of a record crowd of 10,419 fans at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.
How many championships does Candace Parker have? ›
1 overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft, Parker dominated the league in her 16-year career. The seven-time All-Star won three championships with three different teams (Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, Chicago Sky in 2021 and Las Vegas Aces in 2023), making her the first WNBA player to do so in history.
What are the odds of the Las Vegas Aces winning the championship? ›
With the WNBA season in full swing, title odds are already on the move. After the WNBA Draft, reigning champion Las Vegas' odds moved to +100 after opening at +115. The Aces are looking to win their third straight title, and their odds have shortened to -105 after starting the season 2-0.
