The Aces' victory over the Connecticut Sun brought a first major professional sports title to Las Vegas; Chelsea Gray led the way for the visitors with 20 points and was named finals series MVP
Monday 19 September 2022 07:45, UK
Chelsea Gray scored 20 points to lead the Las Vegas Aces to their first WNBA title in a 78-71 win away at the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 on Sunday.
Gray went nine of 13 from the floor and was named MVP after averaging 18 points over the run. The Aces improved to 4-0 in this year's playoffs with two days' rest.
Riquna Williams added 17 points, Kelsey Plum added 16 points for the Aces, Jackie Young had 13 and league MVP A'ja Wilson added 11 points to go with 14 rebounds.
Vegas finished on an 8-0 run. As the buzzer sounded Wilson grabbed the ball and stomped the floor before being mobbed by her teammates. It is the first major professional sports title for a team from Las Vegas, and Wilson hopes this is just the beginning.
"You see it," Wilson said in the on-court celebration. "This is what we're building, this is what we're doing - this is it. I'm so happy right now."
Courtney Williams had 17 points to lead Connecticut and Alyssa Thomas had her second straight triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Jonquel Jones added 13 points and DeWanna Bonner had 12. Las Vegas had led by two points at the half and four points after three quarters.
For Aces coach Becky Hammon, who did not get a title in her standout WNBA playing career, the ring completed a decades-long quest. She left an assistant coach position with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs to take over in Las Vegas, and the move paid off.
"They're unbelievable on the court but they're unbelievable humans, first and foremost," Hammon said.
"They care about each other, they invest in each other - it's been an absolute honour to be their coach. I saw excellence and I wanted to be a part of it.
Hammon also paid tribute to former Aces coach Bill Laimbeer, who was on the floor for the ceremony. He put this team together and saw the pieces, Hammon said.
Aces owner Mark Davis, who also owns the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, was not with his football team Sunday. He was in Connecticut to get a trophy. He hoisted it, then turned it over to gleeful players who did the same.
It was a six-point lead in the fourth when Plum was called for a flagrant foul after running into Bonner while the Sun guard was attempting a three-pointer and sending her to the floor holding her right ankle.
Bonner hit all three free throws before Jonquel Jones' short jumper cut the lead to a point. The Sun then tied the game at 67 on free throw by Courtney Williams and took a 71-70 lead on two fouls shots from Brionna Jones, but Las Vegas had the answers.
Riquna Williams' three-pointer put the Aces back on top and Gray's step-back jumper extended the lead back to 75-71 with under a minute left A'ja Wilson then stole a pass and Plum hit a short jump shot to secure the win.
Bonner opened the scoring with a leaner from the left wing. But Plum's three-pointer from the left baseline sparked an early 12-0 run for Vegas that shot them out to a 16-6 lead. The Aces, who gave up 34 points to the Sun in the first quarter of Game 3, led 16-12 after 10 minutes on Sunday.
Gray, who overcame some serious injuries which threatened to sidetrack her career in the past, was WNBA Finals MVP, to no one's surprise after averaging 18.3 points and six assists in the series.
"My teammates are awesome," Gray said as she broke into tears. "I worked so hard for this."
She was not a WNBA All-Star this season, nor was she a first-team all-league pick, and voiced her displeasure about that. In the end, however, she also got the last word.
"They can keep that All-Star and first team," Gray said. "I got the ring."
