The Las Vegas Aces edged past the New York Liberty 70-69 Wednesday night to win the WNBA Finals in four games. Aces star A’ja Wilson was named Finals MVP after averaging 21 points and 12.5 rebounds over the course of the series.
“This is a moment that we need to celebrate,” Wilson said. “Not a lot of people get a chance to do it, and for us to do it short-handed is truly amazing. It just makes this win that much better. I’m going to get choked up … this s— wasn’t easy.”
The matchup between the Aces and Liberty was one of the most highly anticipated in the history of the WNBA, a series contested between a budding dynasty and the league’s newest super team. The Aces, champions in 2022, were led by Wilson, with Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray playing key roles alongside her. The Liberty made headlines during the offseason when the team assembled a big three of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot. New York lived up to the hype, breezing through the Eastern Conference on the way to the Finals.
The Liberty fell behind in the best-of-five series 2-0 but won Game 3 to get back into contention. In Game 4, Ionescu was seen throwing up behind the bench but later re-entered the game and went on to score 13 points. As the game came to a close, however, New York had a chance to win and extend the series when Stewart, the league’s MVP, got the ball in the corner just before the buzzer. She did not hit the rim, wrapping up a quiet 10-point night that likely cost the team the game.
“I put the ball in the hands of the MVP because we trust her. And it just didn’t work out today,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said after the game. “It ended up with Breanna at the end, so it was just her trying to make a play from there. So, I [would] still do it again. That’s the right call.”
Because the Aces got to celebrate their win on the Liberty’s home court, Aces guard Plum got the opportunity to embrace her husband, New York Giants star tight end Darren Waller, after the game. Waller is not the Aces’ only connection to the NFL, as Tom Brady was officially named a minority owner in the team earlier this month.
Because both teams are expected to maintain much of their cores going forward, it’s likely that the Aces and Liberty will remain forces in the WNBA for years to come. Both teams boast stars that have come to define the league at an important point in its history. With women’s basketball gaining more attention in recent years and young stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese soon arriving from college, this could be the beginning of a new high-profile era for the sport.
