By Cassandra Cousineau
LVSportsBiz.com
Welcome to Las Vegas — Basketball City USA, for the summers anyway.
The summer of roundball just got longer in Las Vegas as the WNBA Las Vegas Aces pulled away from the Chicago Sky Sunday to post a 100-85 victory on the road and clinch a postseason berth. The Windy City win also marked A’ja Wilson’s return to action after a nine-game absence caused by an injured ankle. This will be the team’s first playoff appearance since 2014, when the franchise was the San Antonio Stars.
“I’m learning to be patient.” Wilson told LVSportsBiz.com during her rehab stint. “The team playing well helps the healing process.”
The Aces extending their season in the playoffs means more basketball for a city that has become a destination for the sport during the summer months. It began with NBA Summer League at Thomas and Mack Center and included the WNBA All-Star Weekend at Mandalay Bay Events Center, the Big Time AAU tournament at Bishop Gorman, and recent sessions by the Team USA Basketball program at T-Mobile Arena. Fans have had their pick of action on the hard court.
Last month, MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren told LVSportsBiz.com “We are leading the charge to make Las Vegas the sports capital of the country.”
Unfortunately, that charge isn’t translating into increased attendance for the Aces at Mandalay Bay Events Center. With two games remaining on the home schedule, the Aces are averaging just 4,459 fans a game, third lowest of the 12 WNBA teams. That’s down 16 percent from the 5,317 per game the team saw during its inaugural 2018 season.
The bright side is the WNBA is trending upward, with increased media coverage showcasing the league’s talent and deep well of interesting backstories. According to Carol Stiff, ESPN’s vice president of programming and acquisitions, ratings are up 31 percent year-over-year for the W. Also, the WNBA is averaging approximately 318,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. That number is up from the 243,000 that ESPN2 drew in 2018.
Upon acquiring Liz Cambage in May, the Aces became an early favorite to be the last WNBA team standing this season. Stacked with back-to-back number No. 1 picks, one of the league’s youngest teams is in its second full season in the desert after MGM Resorts International purchased the former San Antonio franchise.
With Wilson’s return, the Aces are poised to make a run for an WNBA title that would give the first championship banner hung to a professional team in Las Vegas.
The question is whether the attendance will match the weight of the moment and increase during the postseason.
The Aces have two remaining home games at Mandalay Bay. The first will be on Tuesday, while the final home contest is Aug. 31.
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