What happened in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas as the whole world celebrated Monday with the Las Vegas Aces, when the team hosted its second straight WNBA championship parade.
A’ja Wilson was named series MVP as the Aces defeated the New York Liberty in four games on Wednesday to win consecutive titles. They are only the third franchise in league history to win back-to-back championships. They rallied with injured starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes to take the final victory 70-69. Wilson had 24 points and 16 rebounds in the game and had a double-double in three of the four outings.
For the parade, the team rode double-decker buses on the Strip, smoking cigars and applauding fans who lined the iconic street. According to the Las Vegas Sun, The celebration landed at Toshiba Plaza outside the T-Mobile Arena, where a crowd of 5,000 season ticket holders and new fans cheered their champions with owner Mark Davis and rap star 2 Chainz.
A’ja Wilson wears a t-shirt with MVP votes
Several WNBA members were stunned A’ja Wilson finished third for regular season MVP vote despite being in the top three in all four statistical categories, including averaging a career-high 22.8 points and 9.5 rebounds and leading the league with 2.2 blocks per game.
For the championship parade, she wiggled, walked the grid and waved to fans while wearing a T-shirt with the number of MVP votes she received listed on the back. There was even a No. 1 for the vote for fourth place who had her teammates and Becky Hammon, Aces coach particularly furious.
“Whoever voted me fourth, thank you. Thank you very much,” Wilson said on stage. “I mean I like you, because that just means I still have a lot of work to do and we’ll be back.”
Hammon praised Wilson’s leadership during the parade, saying that by the time the five-time All-Star retires, she will be known as the greatest player in all of basketball.
“I’m trying to think of an NBA competition. I’m trying to think of a WNBA competition. And there’s no one in the world like A’ja Wilson,” Hammon said, “who put us on her back and said, “Hey, I’m about to put you on your back. Come on, follow me.’ And we did.”
Chelsea Gray takes a step forward in a walking boot
Chelsea Gray was the 2022 Finals MVP and played a major role in the first two games of this year’s Finals before getting injured in Game 3. She missed Game 4 due to injury at the foot, but didn’t let her be a good teammate as she cheered from the sidelines.
At the show, Gray was in full swing as she rode her scooter down the red carpet. She made her stage debut dancing to E-40’s “Tell Me When to Go” in stunning sunglasses and walking boots.
Kelsey Plum promises more titles and smokes another celebratory cigar
Kelsey Plum celebrated with a cigar like last year and entered the stage emitting a big puff of smoke. She had 20-plus points in the first three games of the Finals, including a playoff career-high 29 points in Game 3.
While wearing an Under Armor T-shirt celebrating back-to-back championships, she told the adoring crowd that the Aces weren’t done winning.
“We’re going to keep coming back and everyone hates it,” Plum said. “Let’s go baby!”
