Las Vegas Aces Blast Fever In Semis Game 2 On Las Vegas’ Big Sports Night; VGK Start Home Preseason Sked; Even Aviators See Playoff Action
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Story by LVSportsBiz.com Staff and Photographers Hugh Byrne and J. Tyge O’Dponnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — It’s the fourth Tuesday in September and here in Las Vegas the Las Vegas Aces played a crucial WNBA semifinals Game 2 at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena this evening. The Aces blew out the Indiana Fever to lock the Best-of-5 series at a game each. It was the Aces’ usual sellout at 10,516 announced attendance.
And a mile away on the Strip, the NHL Vegas Golden Knights christened the Year 9 preseason home schedule with a exhibition matchup with the Los Angeles at T-Mobile Arena. Attendance was announced at 17,409 in a building where the fixed seat capacity is 17,367. Officially speaking, LA won the exhibition game, 3-1.
And 13 miles to the west in the Summerlin suburbs, the Triple-A baseball Las Vegas Aviators — the MLB Athletics’ affiliate — were also playing a playoff game. It was postseason action at Las Vegas Ballpark betwween the Aviators and the Tacoma Rainiers, the Mariners’ Triple-A team. The Aviators even threw in a drone show for Game 1 of the Pacific Coast League championship series.
(Extra credit question: which of three venues was built with public money? The LVCVA public tourism board gave $80 million in the form of a venue naming rights deal to Howard Hughes Corp. to build the $150 million minor league baseball stadium.)
It’s hardly unusual for a weekend in Las Vegas to host, let’s say, a NASCAR event, a VGK game and a UFC fight event all in one weekend.
In fact, the Las Vegas tourism industry is expecting a visitor jolt to aid slumping visitor numbers during the Nov. 20-23 weekend when the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix takes over the Strip corridor Nov. 20-22, UNLV hosts Hawaii at Allegiant Stadium Nov. 21 and the Raiders then host the Cleveland Browns at the same stadium Nov. 23.
But on a week day in September, the Aces defeated the Indiana Fever, 90-68; Golden Knights fans renewed their hockey ritual against a Kings team that seems to bow out to the Edmonton Oilers every NHL postseason; and the Aviators had players in their lineup who hope to be playing inside a swanky new $2 billion domed baseball stadium on the Strip in 2028.
The Aviators won their Game 1, 7-1, over Tacoma with an announced crowd of 3,662.
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