Las Champions: Vegas Throws Party Monday To Celebrate Aces’ WNBA Crown; Aces Take Aim For 3-Peat In 2024

 

 

 

 

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  Story by Cassandra Cousineau and Alan Snel   Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell

Las Vegas and its Aces celebrated again Monday, throwing a big party on the Strip and at the T-Mobile Arena plaza to rejoice in the second of the Aces’ back-to-back championships that was built on the grit of players who posted a historic WNBA season in 2023.

The Aces celebrated with a parade down a section of the Strip from Tropicana Avenue to a rally at the plaza in front of T-Mobile Arena. It was a different parade route from last year because the Formula 1 car race construction in front of the Bellagio prompted the Aces to change their celebration logistics.

It may have been a different parade route, but it was the same team spirit and community unity that brought together fans and locals with all types of varying backgrounds to the celebration Monday from 5 PM – 7:30 PM.

That’s the power and magic of sports.

   

It was the third major league sports championship celebrated on the Strip in 13 months years with the Aces celebration in September 2022 and the Vegas Golden Knights’ victory party for its Stanley Cup championship in June.

“It’s hard to win a championship. It’s even harder to repeat,” Aces owner Mark Davis told the crowd gathered in front of the plaza stage.

After the Aces defeated Connecticut three games to one in 2022 to claim their first WNBA crown, Becky Hammon’s crew ran it back again, winning 34 of 40 regular season games and knocking out the hyped New York Liberty “super team” in four games in the Finals to win a second title five days ago.

The Aces played with grit and sacrificed their bodies to win a second championship as nearly half the team was seated on the stage wearing in some kind of a cast to help heal an assortment of injuries. Finals MVP A’ja Wilson had a cast on her left hand after taking her team on her back to victory in Game 4 in New York Wednesday, while starters Chelsea Gray, Candace Parker, and Kiah Stokes were all unavailable for that clinching Finals game due to injury.

The Aces became the first WNBA team in 21 years to win back-to-back championships after defeating the Liberty. The team was the first professional Las Vegas team to win a major league championship in 2022 after beating the Sun.

Wilson was greeted throughout the parade route with chants of “M-V-P.”

“We coming back,” Wilson told the passionate fans.

“We’re going to keep coming back, and everyone hates it.” guard Kelsey Plum added.

Clark County Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft also declared Oct. 23, 2023, “Las Vegas Aces Day,” and presented the team with the Key to the Strip.

Hammon was on fire with her comments through the celebration, telling fans she played with all the “goats,” (Greatest of all Time_ and that “Wilson is going to be the WNBA GOAT of the goats.” Wilson, a two-time MVP winner, sported a custom-made T-shirt parade shirt that showed the one vote she received for fourth place in the regular season MVP voting.

Talented Aces guard Jackie Young, known for her sharpshooting from beyond the three-point arc, may not be known for her verbosity off the court. But her brief moment at the microphone was memorable. She directed everyone’s attention to her shirt, which read, “I’m silent, but my rings loud.”

Sydney Colson explained her “night night” declaration after the Aces won Game 4:

Championship parades are becoming a thing in Las Vegas. The Vegas Golden Knights hosted their own festivities on Toshiba Plaza after winning the NHL’s Stanley Cup in June.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said road closures for the Aces’ parade began at 4 PM on southbound Las Vegas Boulevard from Aria Place to Tropicana and Park Avenue. LVMPD noted that Las Vegas Boulevard was closed until 6 PM and all additional roads reopened at 8 PM following a performance by rapper 2 Chainz.

As the festivities came to a close, the Aces players and staff mingled with fans, signing autographs and taking photos.

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