The Las Vegas Aces have secured the 2022 WNBA championship, becoming the first major league team to bring the title to the city. Forty-eight hours later, the players, staff and fans celebrated just like that. Governor Steve Sisolak made it worse by declaring Sept. 20 as Las Vegas Aces Day.
Part of the line was closed as three buses traveled down Las Vegas Boulevard from Caesars Palace to the Bellagio fountains. At first, only one side of the road was supposed to be cleared, but a large group of people led officials to clear the south and north. Fans watched from the street, balconies and bridges. One of those spectators was Raiders tight end Darren Waller.
It was not a quiet evening, as A’ja Wilson requested. At 8:14 a.m., the 2022 WNBA MVP was already asking about Four Lokos. This is not surprising, since Wilson is also the actor who set the requirements for those who wanted to go to the parade.
“Vegas, you have to take four shots. Kids, take shots of ginger ale,” he said during a press conference.
The players arrived at the venue ready to party and Wilson grabbed a cup from the Sonics. The contents of that cup are unknown, but he was greeted with a golden bottle that was probably not filled with water.
While on the parade buses, the athletes threw rally towels and bed sheets. A few fans threw their cellphones at Kelsey Plum, who then recorded them in selfie mode before sending them.
The celebration continued when the actors arrived on stage. As predicted by many, including Theresa Plaisance, Sydney Colson gave fans an inside look by going live on Instagram. Thanks to her live broadcast, fans who weren’t at the parade were able to find out that Dearica Hamby is pregnant with her second child.
A banner saying “history was made” was part of the background as owner Mark Davis – who also owns the Raiders – opened the discussion part of the ceremony by thanking Aces fans.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now, for the biggest sponsors in professional sports, Las Vegas, we are world champions,” he said. “It wasn’t an overnight journey. The WNBA and this franchise has been around for 26 years. Throughout those years, we’ve had alumni, fans, staff, coaches help build the organization to where it is today.”
Aces president Nikki Fargas was next, and credited Davis with the franchise’s growth.
“You’re seeing historic events right now….To be able to have an owner like Mark Davis who believes in women and promoting women in sports, this is what happens, world champions,” Fargas said.
Coach Becky Hammon led the Aces to a 26-10 record in her first year at the helm. He is the highest paid coach in the league, and he earned all the money. The 2022 WNBA Coach of the Year said her gut told her that taking the Las Vegas job was the right thing to do.
“There’s gambling and then there’s odds, and the odds are on the Las Vegas Aces,” Hammon said.
Chelsea Gray averaged 18.3 points per game against the Suns, winning the Finals MVP award. He confidently told the crowd that there will be another arena in the future.
With a trophy in one hand and champagne in the other, Wilson danced as he was introduced. The T-shirt he was wearing showed how he won, as well as the rule he had set for those who came to the parade.
“I want to know, who was shot by nana?” he began, “Las Vegas, thank you so much. I can’t thank you all enough for how much you’ve gotten behind me and my teammates. We did this for you.”
Finally, Wilson admitted that he wanted to take a nap and that the world was working for him. The two-time champion played every minute of the game that won his team the title, so he certainly got the rest he needed.
As the celebration on stage came to an end, the Bellagio fountains went off and played the signature song “Viva Las Vegas.”
Tuesday’s event was the first tournament the city of Las Vegas has hosted since UNLV’s NCAA basketball title in 1990. The Aces have been waiting for this for a few years now. In 2019, they lost to the Washington Mystics in the semifinals. They advanced the next season but fell to the Seattle Storm in the 2020 WNBA Finals. The Aces fell short last season when they failed to get past the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals.
It was a tough time growing up, but as the Aces say, “the slow never gets the better.”
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