Las Vegas Aces

SOURCE SPORTS: Aces Rout Liberty 104-76, Within One of Going Back-to-Back in Championships

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Aces Rout Liberty 104-76, Within One of Going Back-to-Back in Championships

The New York Liberty is now in do-or-die mode. After mounting a second-quarter comeback to combat a hot start for the Las Vegas Aces, the Liberty received a 104-76 rout in game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

In the game’s opening quarter, the Aces opened a 19-2 lead, finishing the quarter up 38-19. The Liberty stormed back behind the power of Jonquel Jones, who put on a rebounding display in the second quarter.

After a closer halftime, the Aces took off again, running the Liberty out of their building and sending the series back to Brooklyn with the Aces needing just to win one more game. Will the Aces’ return to New York be easy? They know it will not.

“It’s really about buckling in, understanding personnel and knowing about the little things in a series,” said A’ja Wilson. “They’re going to have counters and know how to maneuver through defense, because that’s what great players do. But if you can just make it a little bit harder, that’s how you can create that difference.”

For the game, Wilson had 26 points and 15 rebounds, while the backcourt of Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum added 24 and 23 points, respectively. Chelsea Gray kept the offense going with 11 assists. Jones had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Liberty, while Breanna Stewart added 14 and 13 rebounds.

Game 3 is this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Aces Rout Liberty 104-76, Within One of Going Back-to-Back in Championships first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Aces Rout Liberty 104-76, Within One of Going Back-to-Back in Championships appeared first on The Source.

SOURCE SPORTS: Aces Guard Trio Run Liberty Off Floor in Game 1 of WNBA Finals

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Aces Guard Trio Run Liberty Off Floor in Game 1 of WNBA Finals

The Las Vegas Aces struck first in the WNBA Finals, beating the New York Liberty 99-82 in game 1.

The battle of the WNBA Supersteams was tight through the first half, before the guard trio of Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Kelsey plum exploded for a total of 72 points, powering the game 1 win.

The Aces trailed 49-46 at the half before their second half explosion. Young and Plum had 26 points. Gray added 20 and nine rebounds.

“We know when to push each other, when to relax a little. There’s a trust factor,” said Gray. “If we’re yelling, ‘You gotta do this!’ it’s coming from a good place of just wanting to win. There’s just a kind of chemistry there with us.”

Former league MVP A’ja Wilson added 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks to the team effort.

On the other side, the 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart had 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Jonquel Jones added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Off the bench, Marinne Johannes added a spark of 14 points, including four wild threes in the first half. But it was still not enough.

The Liberty and Aces will now prepare for Game 2 on Wednesday on ESPN.

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SOURCE SPORTS: A’Ja Wilson Drops 53 Points to Tie WNBA Single-Game Scoring Record

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A'Ja Wilson Drops 53 Points to Tie WNBA Single-Game Scoring Record

A’ja Wilson went crazy during the Las Vegas Aces’ Tuesday night game against the Atlanta Dream. Wilson had it going from the start, leading to the tie of a WNBA scoring record of 53 points.

For the game, Wilson shot 16-23 from the field, 20-21 from the three-throw line, while also adding in seven rebounds and four blocks. The Aces won 112-100.

“She runs like a deer, jumps like a cat and catches as if she were Spider-Man,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon said to ESPN. “She is just special. Her real gift is in her humility and grace and how she handles herself and her teammates. She is a phenomenal superstar.”

The performance matches former WNBA player Liz Cambage who dropped 53 as a member of the Dallas Wings in July 2018. Riquna Williams scored 51 for the Tulsa Shock against San Antonio in 2013.

“I’m out there having fun, and I get the opportunity to play with some amazing women,” Wilson said. “I don’t take these moments for granted. But it wasn’t a feeling like, ‘Oh, my God!’ It was kind of just in the flow.”

You can see Wilson get buckets below.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: A’Ja Wilson Drops 53 Points to Tie WNBA Single-Game Scoring Record first appeared on The Source.

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Las Vegas Aces Sign A’ja Wilson To Two-Year Extension

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Two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson will remain with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces through at least 2025. Wilson signed a two-year extension on June 30, keeping her with the team that drafted her first overall in 2018. Wilson has consistently been one of the league’s best players since she joined the league. She won league MVP in 2020 and 2022, while also leading the Aces to their inaugural title last season.

“When the Aces made me their first-ever draft pick, they entrusted me with a lot,” added Wilson. “I’m happy to still be in Las Vegas, winning games, playing at a high level, but also being a part of a community that has embraced me and my teammates over the past six years, and made this city a second home for me.” Meanwhile, the Aces were happy to keep her around. “A’ja Wilson is a generational talent and a huge foundational piece to our team and organization,” Aces general manager Natalie Williams said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have her re-sign and be here in Las Vegas for the next two years.”

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Wilson Signs Extension After Superteam Blowout

Wilson’s extension comes the day after the Aces faced off against the league’s other superteam, the New York Liberty. Both teams entered the game leading their respective conferences. However, it would be the Aces that proved themselves to be the better outfit with a blowout. The two sides kept it close in the first half before the Aces outscored the Liberty 27-14 in the third quarter. The final score was 98-89, with the Aces improving to a 14-1 record. That mark ties the record for the best start to a season through 15 games.

All the Aces starters hit double-digit points, with Wilson recording a 16/3/3 stat line. Fellow Ace Kelsey Plum led all scorers with 18 points. Meanwhile, the Liberty saw many of their biggest stars struggle. Sabrina Ionescu went 7/6/7, marking the third time in the last four games that she failed to reach 10 points. Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with a 16/5/3 line. Next up for the Liberty are the Seattle Storm on July 2. Meanwhile, the Aces host the Eastern Conference-leading Connecticut Sun on July 1.

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SOURCE SPORTS: WNBA Star A’Ja Wilson Rejects ‘Super Team’ Label for Las Vegas Aces

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WNBA Star A'Ja Wilson Rejects 'Super Team' Label for Las Vegas Aces

A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces are off to the hottest start in basketball at 4-0 with an insane point differential of +24.7. The Aces are a title favorite, powered by Wilson, Candace Parker, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young. That’s an all-star at every position in the starting lineup.

Most people would refer to the Aces as a superteam, but Wilson rejects that notion. Speaking with Paul George on the Podcast P with Paul George, Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, Wilson reveals she doesn’t believe in superteams.

“I just feel like we’re all coming together with the equal goal and we’re just trying to reach that goal,” Wilson said. “That doesn’t make us super.

“We’re talented and skilled, yes. But when it comes to a super team, nah because I feel like that’s where the pressure come in. If we lose a game they’re like ‘oh this super team sucks’ and it’s like well no one told y’all to label us as a super team. I feel like everyone on the outside talks about a super team more than we do.”

You can hear the full conversation below.

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Las Vegas Aces Party with E-40 at Drai’s Nightclub to Celebrate WNBA Championship

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WNBA Champions LV Aces celebrate at Drais Nightclub photo Radis Denphutaraphrechar

The Las Vegas Aces, the new WNBA Champions, were welcomed home from Connecticut with a celebration fit for champions at Drai’s Nightclub at The Cromwell early this morning. Most of the squad, including WNBA Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and teammates Kierstan Bell, Aisha Sheppard, and Theresa Plaisance, participated in the fun after flying back from Connecticut at 2:30 a.m. The squad partied and danced from the stage for most of what was a once-in-a-lifetime performance after being invited on stage by Drai’s LIVE artist, E-40.

A magnum of Ace of Spades, 12 bottles of Mot & Chandon Champagne Rosé Impérial, four bottles of Volcán X.A. tequila, and Belvedere Vodka were presented to the crew as welcome gifts. Throughout the evening, Drai’s Dolls carried sparklers. They displayed huge images of the players and the Las Vegas Aces emblem and a message stating, “Congrats Las Vegas Aces 2022 WNBA Champions.”

You can see images from the celebration below.

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WNBA Champion LV Aces celebrate at Drais Nightclub 1


WNBA Champion LV Aces celebrate at Drais Nightclub 2


WNBA Champion LV Aces celebrate at Drais Nightclub


WNBA Champion LV Aces on stage at Drais Nightclub photo Radis Denphutaraphrechar


WNBA Champions LV Aces celebrate at Drais Nightclub photo Radis Denphutaraphrechar 1 1


WNBA Champions LV Aces celebrate at Drais Nightclub photo Radis Denphutaraphrechar


E 40 introduces WNBA Champion LV Aces on stage at Drais Nightclub


Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and WNBA Champions LV Aces celebrate at Drais Nightclub photo credit Radis Denphutaraphrechar

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SOURCE SPORTS: A’Ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray Lead Las Vegas Aces to First WNBA Championship

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The WNBA season is officially over, and the Las Vegas Aces are your new champions. On Sunday, A’Ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and the Aces finished off the Connecticut Sun 3-1 to become the new top team in the league. This is the first championship for the Aces franchise.

Gray was named Finals MVP after her stellar clutch efforts throughout the season.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon became the first person in league history to win the championship in the first season as coach. She also won the Coach of the Year award and led the Aces to the No. 1 overall seed and the Commissioners Cup championship.

Wilson, League MVP and Defensive Player of the year, would add another double-double to her Finals run, finishing Game 4 with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Gray had 20 and six assists.

“she’s just now entering her prime years,” Hammon said of Wilson. “Think about the learning curve, even just this year. She learned some things entirely new, defensively and offensively. For her to excel like this, I’m excited about the upcoming years because of the foundation she’s put in. Her game is going to continue to expand. I really don’t know how good she can be, but she’s already here … I wouldn’t put a cap on her.”

On the losing end, the Finals was the fourth trip for the Sun. They have lost every visit. In the closing game, Alyssa Thomas had the second triple-double in WNBA Finals history, posting 11 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. She delivered the first triple-double in history during game 3.

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SOURCE SPORTS: A’Ja Wilson Named 2022 WNBA Most Valuable Player

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A'Ja Wilson Named 2022 WNBA Most Valuable Player

One day after leading the Las Vegas Aces to the 2022 WNBA Finals, A’Ja Wilson has been named league MVP. The win is the second MVP award for Wilson, she previously won in 2020.

Wilson is now the seventh player in WNBA history to win the MVP Award more than once, joining Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Elena Della Donne, and Candace Parker.

Late last month, Wilson was named the Defensive Player of the Year. She is the fifth player in league history to win both awards in a single season. The last to achieve the double win was Jackson in 2007. Yolanda Giffith, Swoopes, and Leslie are the others to win in the same season.

Second place in this year’s voting was Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart, third place was Wilson’s teammate Kelsey Plum and fourth was Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun. Fifth in voting was Candace Parker of The Chicago Sky.

In just her fifth season, Wilson averaged 19.95 points, 9.4 rebounds, shot 50.1 percent from the field and had 17 double-doubles across 36 games. She also led the league in blocks at 1.9 per game.

Wilson and the Aces will host the winner of the Sun and Sky in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals this Sunday.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Las Vegas Aces’ A’Ja Wilson Named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Jackie Young Named Most Improved

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In the midst of their playoff run, two stars of the Las Vegas Aces are adding hardware to their trophy case. A’Ja Wilson has been named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and Jackie Young has been dubbed Most Improved Player.

A’Ja Wilson becomes the first player in Aces’ team history to win the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award with this victory. It is also her first time winning the award.

In her fifth WNBA season, Wilson finished second in the league in defensive rebounds per game (a career-high 7.6), second in blocks (1.9 bpg), and 12th in steals (1.4 spg). Nine times, Wilson had at least 10 defensive rebounds in a single game. She also had six games with at least three steals and seven games with at least four blocks.

The Aces were tops in the WNBA in defensive rebounds per game (28.1), defensive rebound percentage (74.5), and steals (5.4), all behind Wilson (7.7 spg). Additionally, the 6-4 Wilson assisted Las Vegas in limiting opponents to 31.8 points per game in the paint, which is the third-lowest mark in the league.

The WNBA announced Jackie Young has been chosen as the 2022 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player. In the history of the Aces franchise, Young is the first player to get the honor.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, Young, increased his averages from 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 2021 to 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals this season. Young’s three-point shooting increased from 25 percent in the previous season to 43.1 percent in 2022. She had the 14th-most assists in the WNBA (3.9 apg).

The 6-0 guard took part in the WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and was chosen to play in her first AT&T WNBA All-Star Game this season. Young assisted the Aces in registering the most victories (26) in the team’s history as they advanced to the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google with the top seed. This season, Las Vegas had the third-highest scoring average in league history and the highest mark since 2010, averaging a WNBA-high 90.4 points per game.

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SOURCE SPORTS: WNBA All-Star A’ja Wilson Talks Off-court Style and What’s Next for the Las Vegas Aces

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During WNBA All-Star Weekend, MTN DEW hit up Chicago to provide an experience throughout the weekend. In addition to hosting the three-point contest, MTN DEW had Las Vegas Aces superstar and league style icon A’ja Wilson on hand at the MTN DEW Style Suite.

Ahead of leading Team Wilson for the second straight All-Star game, Wilson spoke with The Source about the first half of the season, her partnership with MTN Dew, and more.

Being a style icon yourself. What did you think about the concept of the MTN DEW Style Lounge?

A’Ja Wilson: Man, it was so dope. It really put a smile on my face because when I tell you those Jersey dresses just popped in my mind – it was something that I really didn’t even honestly plan for. Honestly, MTN DEW brings a side of A’ja that doesn’t really come out because I’m always on the athlete’s side. So MTN Dew wants me to be bigger than an athlete. They want to dig a little deeper and have people connect with me on another level. So when I saw the style lounge, I was like, that’s gonna be so dope. And people love it, especially now. Like it’s all about the drip now. So I love that.

Coming into All-Star, did you already have an idea of what you want to wear to the game, or is it a spur of the moment?

It’s really spur of the moment, but also I have people just around me to see what we can do. I’m a simple girl, but I like my shoes to pop. I want all the focus to be on my shoes. So yeah, when it came to picking out stuff, I said let’s just do something slight, but let the feet do the talking. I’m in between and just like popping out, but really just kind of being subtle.

In this Style Lounge, we have a couple of your jersey dresses. Do you have one that you feel is your favorite so far?

It’s definitely Sheryl Swoopes. Because it’s [number] 22. For me, just being able to even say that I can talk to her is pretty dope. She’s, of course, one of the legends of our game. I also got Coach Staley, my old coach, and then Lisa Leslie, my role model. But my favorite has to be Sheryl that’s like the first one that really popped out.

What attracted you to working with MTN DEW in general?

It truly was a partnership that wanted to dig deeper than the player and show people my kid side. They turned to me as their WNBA player and they really just show a lot of love. They show me and the idea is when you can see her, you can be her. When they push me out there, I know that there are young girls out watching and that’s what it’s really for.

A couple of hoops questions. The first half of the season is wrapped up, what part of the season has you the most excited so far?

That we have a winning record. I love that we are having a winning record. That means that we’re on the right path. We’re doing something right. So I’m excited just to get ready for the second half.

In the second half, you want to keep that going, but is it something that you hope to improve on?

Oh my God. Yes. Our defense, we need to work on our defense a lot more. I think that’s something that we need to really lock in on. But other than that, I think we’re on the right path.

You’re going to be in Chicago again in a couple of weeks for the Commissioner’s Cup Finals. Fans and analysts spoke a lot about the historic comeback the Chicago Sky made in your last matchup, does that add extra motivation to the game?

Commissioner’s Club doesn’t really need much motivation as a whole. We are raising so much money for our charities and a mid-season tournament is pretty dope. So we’re gonna have some fun. It’s always a good game when we play Chicago.

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