The Las Vegas Aces, the league’s defending champions, are poised to accomplish a feat that has eluded the league since 2002 in a spectacular finish to the 2023 WNBA season. The Aces hope to make history by winning a “peat” championship, an extraordinary feat that has not been accomplished in more than 20 years, as they take on the tough New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals. The last team to have achieved this incredible feat was the Los Angeles Sparks back in 2002.
Meanwhile taking a page out of the Bulls and Warriors dynasty, A’ja Wilson benchmarks her WNBA success with the Aces.
A’ja Wilson Benchmarks Her WNBA Success With the Aces
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The Las Vegas Aces kicked off the 2022 season with a star-studded lineup that had fans and critics buzzing. The Aces boasted three All-Star starters A?ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Dearica Hamby. By the end of the season, they had etched their names into the league’s history by clinching their first WNBA championship, all while showcasing a starting five comprised entirely of All-Stars. Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young added to the excitement by making their maiden All-Star appearances that summer.
The Aces, which had Plum, Wilson, and Young, three straight No. 1 draft picks, were a true homegrown team of superstars. Furthermore, they acquired free agent Chelsea Gray in 2021 to lead their offensive. To top it off, the Aces bought in basketball legend Candace Parker to firmly cement its status as a super-team.? Alysha Clark, a veteran forward with two WNBA championships and selections to the All-Defensive Team also joined Las Vegas.
The team then began their reign in the 2023 season, led by A’ja Wilson. The Aces appeared unbeatable with Parker joining a core that already had a championship and the top offense in the league. They were also considered to have the league’s top defense. Unfortunately, Parker’s season was cut short after only 18 games due to foot surgery in July. While she made appearances on the Aces bench during the postseason, the Aces remain mum regarding her expected return date.
However, the Aces powered through it all, now standing as the favorites to win the 2023 WNBA title. Most recently, A’ja Wilson took a page out of the Bulls and Warriors dynasty to benchmark her success with the Aces.
Appearing on a recent episode of ‘Sports Seriously,’ Wilson was asked how many championships it takes for a team to be considered a dynasty. After briefly thinking, A’ja answered, “I want to say like three-four plus. I would say yeah say now you’re cooking, like now you’re starting to do something,?and you build a culture.”
With 6 and 7 titles, the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors classify as dynasties as per Wilson.
Wilson continued, speaking about the labels that they receive due to their status. She said, “I think a lot of people try to pull us into to say legendary or Dynasty and this… that… And I’m like that is great and thank you so much for putting that on us but we only won one thing. Like we haven’t won a lot of much of anything. We do have our one and that’s my baby, that’s my first…
I love it to death. But we got to do a lot more winning in order to be in the categories that they we were trying to put us in. So, I would say three or four have to be kind of the number that I’m like all right now we kind of creeping into places.”?
Meanwhile, the Aces are favored to win the WNBA title for the second consecutive year.
A high-stakes showdown awaits A’ja Wilson
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The Las Vegas Aces are painstakingly close to winning the WNBA title in 2023. The Aces are ready to make basketball history after taking a commanding 2-0 series lead over the New York Liberty. Notably, history appears to be on the Aces’ side as well. According to historical statistics, teams that have surged to a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five WNBA playoff series have maintained an immaculate record of 17-0.
On the flip side, the New York Liberty is facing an uphill battle, as teams trailing 0-2 in the Finals have encountered defeat in all eight instances, with seven of those series culminating in a sweep.
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Game 3 of this heated matchup will play out on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. The Aces have the chance to win the coveted championship with a sweep, a feat that has only occasionally been accomplished in WNBA history. The Liberty, on the other hand, has a daunting mountain to climb to stay afloat.
With the WNBA championship on the line, this Sunday’s game promises to be a classic. Will the Aces go down in history, or will the Liberty muster the fortitude to stage an amazing comeback? Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below!