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The Las Vegas Aces may have been down two starters thanks to heartbreaking injuries, but they were still victorious in their quest to win the WNBA Finals.
Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Having also won in 2022, the Aces are now the first WNBA team to win back-to-back titles since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002.
It wasn’t an easy win for the Vegas squad, with redemption becoming a common theme starting with Chelsea Gray and center Kiah Stokes ruled out. Gray suffered a sidelining foot injury in the fourth quarter of Game 3’s 87-73 loss, while Stokes’ injury was a bit more confusing, and she admittedly called it a “kind of a WTF moment” after waking up with pain in her right foot Monday.
Still, they prevailed even after falling behind pretty early, letting the Liberty coast to a double-digit lead and had everyone assuming a Game 5 in Vegas would be forced. That was until the third quarter, when the Aces scored 23-12 and capped off the period with a 9-0 run to mount a comeback.
When the fourth quarter began, the Aces kept their foot on the pedal with a 7-2 start that secured a three-point lead.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 24 points and an impressive 16 rebounds, aided by Jackie Young’s 16-point performance.
The Liberty couldn’t keep up as the game wore on despite having a stacked squad of Breanna Stewart, who had just 10 points, and a sickly Sabrina Ionescu, with 13 points. Courtney Vandersloot led New York’s scoring with 19 points, keeping fans on their toes with a missed buzzer-beater.
After the game, Wilson spoke on the victorious night and what the wins mean to a team down two stars.
“This is a moment that we need to celebrate,” said Wilson, who was named the WNBA Finals MVP. “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 sh-t wasn’t easy.”
See how social media’s reacting to the win below.
Las Vegas Aces Win Back-To-Back WNBA Championships, X Salutes The Victory was originally published on cassiuslife.com