National Triple Play: Aces, Raiders, Golden Knights Draw Spotlight To Las Vegas On Sunday (WNBA Final Game 1), Monday Night Football, Tuesday’s VGK Championship Banner Unveiling At Season-Opener
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
These are three consecutive days in October in the Las Vegas sports industry where the national focus will be on three different Las Vegas sports teams.
On Sunday, the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces play Game 1 in the league Finals against the New York Liberty. This much-hyped matchup of the WNBA’s two glamour “superteams” includes a subplot of last year’s MVP, A’ja Wilson, playing against this year’s MVP, Breanna Stewart. Many WNBA observers argue Wilson should have won the MVP over Stewart.
The Aces have announced that all their Final home games are sellouts. For the Finals, the Aces’ sell-out figure is 9,832. But that number does not include suites.
During the regular season, the Aces did not sell suites. But the team frequently had people up in suites, which is why you saw attendance figures in the low 10,000s. The announced attendance figures during the Finals are expected to be in the 10,000s again once the Aces add in the suites’ numbers to the attendance.
The WNBA Board of Governors also recently approved Tom Brady’s acquisition of an ownership interest in the Aces. In a press release, Brady was quoted, “My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters’ games. They were by far the best athletes in our house! We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me.”
Game 2 of the Best-of-5 Aces-Liberty Finals is set for Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena Wednesday at 6PM.
On Monday, it’s Monday Night Football as the Raiders host the Green Bay Packers at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders are stumbling with three consecutive losses, including Sunday’s error-filled loss to the Chargers in Los Angeles.
While the Raiders struggle on the field, the franchise continue its effort to plant roots in the Las Vegas market. The team announced Monday that it will be donating $1 million to the UNLV football program.
On Tuesday, the hockey world’s spotlight will shine on Las Vegas where the Golden Knights will unveil their 2022-23 Stanley Cup championship banner before the VGK season-opener with the Seattle Kraken.
