WNBA Finals - Sun v. Aces

[MSGRET]

In retrospect, MGM was clearly just trying to establish a relationship with the NBA so that they could have the edge on being the official betting partner and that is what happened.

Just because they are the official betting partner doesn't stop any of the other sports books in the State of Nevada taking bets on the games. Many Vegans are happy that Davis bought the team because MGM Resorts never gave D about the WNBA or the team, they were just a write off as far as they were concerned.

 

[bballnut90]

But they were clearly much better during the regular season in '22 than '21. And there were some younger legs in the rotation like Copper, Meesseman, Stevens, Gardner, Allemand. I don't know that I'm going to attribute it to age, they just couldn't recapture the magic in the playoffs this season.

Agree with this, (though Gardner isn't exactly young at 32 years old.) My point though was that the Sky were predicted to be in the title mix but they were never an obvious frontrunner over other teams like Vegas, Seattle and Phoenix in the preseason. They got hot at the right time and rode it to a title last year and made some strong offseason changes that kept them in the mix along with other top teams.

Looking at Vegas, you have 4 standout players (3 former #1 picks) who are all continuing to improve each year and haven't reached their full potential yet (besides maybe Chelsea Gray). Assuming they'll be back, all of them will probably be even better than they were this year, and there doesn't appear to be any other loaded teams headed into next year aside from maybe Connecticut and whoever lands the Stewart sweepstakes.

Worth noting, the WNBA landscape looks a lot different than it did 12 months ago. Gone are Bird/Fowles, BG is locked up overseas, Taurasi showed significant decline, Charles is no longer the star she once was, EDD continues to have health problems, Cambage is out of the league, who knows if Angel will play again and Diggins-Smith left for personal reasons at the end of the year. A lot of star power is gone but much of the young talent is stockpiled in Vegas, as their 3 consecutive #1 picks from 2017-2019 is paying off in a big way. We'll see what the off season brings but as of now Vegas looks like the clear cut #1 team headed into 2023.

 

[nwhoopfan]

though Gardner isn't exactly young at 32 years old

Yeah, I thought of that, but she brought a lot of energy off the bench and certainly didn't look like a player approaching late in her career.

 

[oldhusky]

First professional championship for the City of Las Vegas. Hammon changed the way the Aces play basketball. She did the exact opposite of what Laimbeer had been doing the previous years. She made it harder to play against them by spreading the floor, sharing the ball, and embracing the 3pt shot by letting the players shoot if they're open.

But this wouldn't have happened if Mark Davis had not bought the team in 2021, he bought them from MGM Resorts. MGM didn't really support them the way a pro team should be supported. Davis came in spent the money to improve their program from the bottom up, new and better equipment, better conditions and real support. He stated when he bought the team the following "These women can be such a value for our community as a whole. Get them working with kids and at clinics and making enough money so they don't have to also go over to Europe to play.

There is going to be a parade this Tuesday on at 5:30 P.M. on the Southbound portion of the Strip. It will close between Flamingo Road and Bellagio Drive from 6:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M., the parade will last about an hour.

As a part time Vegas resident, I agree completely regarding the change in style of play, and the ownership change has been a major plus in every way. I suspect the Aces will have an advantage going forward because of the ownership and the city. Vegas has a reputation of being a high class organization which could influence the decisions of free agents, as could the city itself.

It will be interesting to see how much support the Aces have at this rally. This has been a sports town for a long time and even more so with the recent additions of the Golden Knights and Raiders along with the Aces. Women's basketball, however, has been more of a cultural transformation. Interest in the NBA via the summer league, and collegiate men's basketball because of UNLV has been strong for a long time but many have not followed women's basketball until perhaps now.

I have been a little frustrated with the local newspaper/web site coverage regarding the Aces. Only now are they getting major coverage. Because there was not a natural base of women's basketball fans here, it has been an evolving process. I would call regular season attendance ok but not great. But now people are paying attention to the Aces and women's basketball. In some ways Vegas now is in a position like the Huskies in 1995. That championship created a whole new group of women's basketball fans that did not exist before. Maybe to a lesser degree, but I think many new women's basketball fans in Vegas will be created as well.

It seems like being in contention doesn't move the needle much for someone who isn't already a fan, but when you win a championship those new fans come out of the woodwork.

 

[Carnac]

Not gonna lie, these finals were extremely underwhelming until the 4th quarter today. Lots of defense, bad offense, and not a lot of players consistently stepping up aside from Gray/Wilson/Thomas. Neither team was firing on all cylinders and the series overall definitely pales in comparison to the Storm/Aces semis. That said, the 4th quarter today was phenomenal. Connecticut looked prime to send the series to 5, but then Riquna Williams single-handedly took over the last 2 minutes, scoring 8 points in 68 seconds to retake the lead and seal the win. Plum also hit a huge bucket and A'ja Wilson made a couple of key defensive plays. Big efforts from a number of players.

Happy to see the Aces take it home, Gray and Wilson deserve a title after their efforts this post season. I think these playoffs has established Gray as a legendary playmaker and PG in the league, I don't think there's ever been a PG in the league with her sense of flair, ability to create and her ability to score, not to mention her insane clutch streak. As far Wilson, this definitely puts her in an elite category of players. In just her 5th year she's won 2 MVPS, played in 2 finals, won a title and Vegas seems primed to win a few more with their stacked roster. She'll quickly work her way up the all time ranks.

Also thrilled for Hammon to come in and make her mark on the league. I hope she gets her crack at coaching an NBA team if that's what she's looking to accomplish. Seems like she has a lot of respect from NBA players and fans. Anytime I see something women's basketball related from Bleacher Report or ESPN, Facebook comments are generally flooded with sexist comments but anytime it's about Hammon the comments usually allude to her being able to coach in the NBA. Would love to see her continue to break barriers if that's what she wants to do. Otherwise, if she wants to attempt creating the next WNBA dynasty I am all for that as well.


In regards to Connecticut, I think this may have been their last real shot unless they do some roster revamping. They had a great year and have a lot of talent but they don't have any strong up and coming players and I think they'll fall behind the likes of Vegas and potentially NY (if Stewart goes there) as a lot of their players are hitting their prime while a lot of Sun players are past theirs.

Excellent post BBnut. The Aces with Hammon at the helm and Gray, Wilson and Plum at the height of their game, Stokes clogging up the middle and getting her fair share of rebounds, and Williams able to make clutch shots off the bench when needed, are an awesome combination to for teams to overcome. The Aces have also become a desired destination for free agents. They are the defending world champions, and who doesn't like to be in Las Vegas? I'm there now as I write this, and I'm having a wonderful time.

Going to the parade later this afternoon. The parade route/length will be very short. Only about 200 yards. From Caesars Palace to the Bellagio fountain

where a stage has been set up for closing ceremonies and remarks by the governor, team officials, Hammon and the players. It's gonna be wild. A lot of the city will turn out for this. Those championship tee shirts that the players wore post game are the hottest item in town. Las Vegas is in the grip of Aces mania.

 

[cancontent]

Excellent post BBnut. The Aces with Hammon at the helm and Gray, Wilson and Plum at the height of their game, Stokes clogging up the middle and getting her fair share of rebounds, and Williams able to make clutch shots off the bench when needed, are an awesome combination to for teams to overcome. The Aces have also become a desired destination for free agents. They are the defending world champions, and who doesn't like to be in Las Vegas? I'm there now as I write this, and I'm having a wonderful time.

Going to the parade later this afternoon. The parade route/length will be very short. Only about 200 yards. From Caesars Palace to the Bellagio fountain

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where a stage has been set up for closing ceremonies and remarks by the governor, team officials, Hammon and the players. It's gonna be wild. A lot of the city will turn out for this. Those championship tee shirts that the players wore post game are the hottest item in town. Las Vegas is in the grip of Aces mania.

If A'ja's prediction that they'll water ski by the fountains actually happens, please get that on video!