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The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Suns as they become WNBA champions for the first time in history. The Aces held on to an entertaining 78-71 win in Game 4 of the 2022 Finals to register a 3-1 victory. Along with this being the Aces’ first title, this is also the first major sporting title for a team in Las Vegas.
Game 4 kicked off on a sluggish note but both teams found some rhythm towards the second half as the Aces led 53-49. Then the fourth quarter saw some incredible basketball but still Las Vegas held on to a 60-59 lead around the six-minute mark. But then Kelsey Plum’s jumper started the Vegas Avalanche as they closed out the game with a seven-point lead.
Chelsea Gray was the torchbearer for the Aces throughout the postseason as she finished with 20 points, five rebounds and six assists on 9 of 13 from the field. With consistent performances through the playoffs, Gray was named 2022 Finals MVP.
The league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year A’ja Wilson scored 11 points and 14 rebounds in her 40 minutes and was elated with the team’s historic victory. "I think we found ourselves in this league where everyone has their standard of how they've won, and we are creating that. Our journey is just beginning, and it's been amazing so far," Wilson said.
The Las Vegas Aces were by far the most dominant team in the tournament as they won most of the season awards: Wilson's MVP and DPOY; Becky Hammon's Coach of the Year; Jackie Young's Most Improved Player. The Aces also won the Commissioner's Cup in July, with Gray as the game's MVP, while securing the No. 1 seed in the postseason.
Becky Hammon was extremely happy with the team as she said, "I don't know, it's actually hard to put into words right now. A little surreal. You know, when I took the job in December, I thought when I started kind of breaking down their rosters that I could do something with it. I had a vision of what I wanted to do with this team.”