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    Categories: WNBA Aces

After Sluggish Start, Las Vegas Aces Clicking On and Off Court at Mandalay Bay Events Center

Raiders owner Mark Davis is an Aces front row fan.

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

 

LVSportsBiz.com photos by Daniel Clark

 

It was halftime at the Las Vegas Aces – Indiana Fever WNBA game at Mandalay Bay Events Center and Lance Evans gazed at the darkened arena in anticipation of a popular show act on the Strip.

 

“Everybody is staying in their seats at halftime. Where do you see that,” said Evans, the MGM Resorts International executive overseeing the Aces’ business operations in the team’s first re-branded year in Las Vegas after the hotel/casino/entertainment company purchased the San Antonio Stars and moved the squad to the Strip.

MGM Resorts executive Lance Evans, overseeing the Aces business operations, during Sunday’s game.

 

Nobody left the 7,500-seat arena at the half because Blue Man Group was in the house to entertain the Aces fans with its percussion mime routine with a side of comedy.

 

“This is still a show,” Evans told LVSportsBiz.com at halftime.

 

In much the same way the Aces basketball team has gelled into playoff-contending unit, the team’s in-game entertainment efforts are also finding a rhythm as the lightning, music, fan engagement are clicking in between the basketball action of A’Ja Wilson’s power drives to the basketball and Kayla McBride’s three-point shots.

A’ja Wilson

 

“I used to sweat it, but not anymore,” Evans said. “It took a while to get it right.”

 

Stressing entertainment and giving fans a show are second nature for the Aces when you consider the team’s owner has access to acts up and down the Strip. In some ways, the Aces are following in the in-game entertainment footsteps of the NHL Vegas Golden Knights, which also included Blue Man Group and other popular acts such as Cirque du Soleil.

It can be entertaining just to watch Aces coach Bill Laimbeer.

 

The Aces weave in a goofy video feature called, “Words of Wisdom from Bill Laimbeer,” where the six-foot, 11-inch offers off-bear advice while sitting in a chair next to a fire in a country house to the conventional kiss cam and T-shirt tosses.

 

Evans said the team has been drawing anywhere from 3,500 to 5,700 fans a game to the renovated arena, which received up to $10 million worth of improvements such as a new center scoreboard and new seats.

Aces fans enjoyed the Blue Man Group antics Sunday.

 

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That’s Aces mascot Bucket$

 

The Aces are in the playoff hunt.

 

The Aces methodically grounded down the Indiana Fever. 88-74, with the Las Vegas led by A’ja Wilson’s 24 points ands 16 points from Kayla McBride. Chipping in with 12 points apiece were Kelsey Plum and Carolyn Swords. The Fever dropped to 3-22.

Kayla McBride enjoyed another strong game.

 

A familiar courtside fan at Aces home games has been Raiders owner Mark Davis, who chatted with sports reporters and took in the win. Here’s a look at the Raiders stadium construction in Vegas.

 

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Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Contact founder/writer Alan Snel at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com.

 

 

 

Alan Snel: Alan Snel brings decades of sports-business reporting experience to LVSportsBiz.com. Snel covered the business side of sports for the South Florida (Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel, the Tampa Tribune and Las Vegas Review-Journal. As a city hall beat reporter, Snel also covered stadium deals in Denver and Seattle. In 2000, Snel launched a sport-business website for FoxSports.com called FoxSportsBiz.com. After reporting sports-business for the RJ, Snel wrote hard-hitting stories on the Raiders stadium for the Desert Companion magazine in Las Vegas and The Nevada Independent. Snel is also one of the top bicycle advocates in the country.
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