UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT - SEPTEMBER 18: The Las Vegas Aces celebrate with the trophy after defeating the Connecticut Sun 78-71 in game four to win the 2022 WNBA Finals at Mohegan Sun Arena on September 18, 2022 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

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Vegas State of Mind

By Shampale Fenessa / September 20, 2022

On Sunday, the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun, 78-71, in a soldout arena to win their first WNBA championship. The win is also the city’s first major sports championship.

 

Chelsea Gray scored 20 points to lead the Las Vegas Aces and was named MVP after averaging 18.3 PPG and 6 APG throughout the playoffs.

 

According to ESPN, the Aces are the fourth WNBA team to win a title with a league MVP and Coach of the Year.

Hammon was named WNBA Coach of the Year for leading the Las Vegas Aces to the best record in the league this season and the No.1 playoff seed.

 

Despite having a 63-25 combined record over the past three seasons, the Aces lost in the 2020 WNBA Finals to the Seattle Storm and the conference finals the other two seasons.

 

Hammon is the first coach in WNBA history to win a title in her debut season.

 

Hammon became the head coach after eight years as an assistant coach for Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, where she was the first woman to hold that spot in the history of the NBA.

 

As the first WNBA coach to exceed $1 million in annual salary, Hammon’s record-breaking salary paid off for the organization and hopefully for the financial gap of women in sports.

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