Pocket Aces 🏆

10/19/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Las Vegas Aces Win Game 4 Thriller (70-69) to Become WNBA’s 1st Back-to-Back Champions in 21 Years

Make it a pair for the Las Vegas Aces! The WNBA champions were crowned on Wednesday night in New York after the Aces held off the Liberty (70-69) in Game 4. Vegas rallied from a double-digit deficit in the first half to take a six-point lead late in the game. New York made key stops in the final two minutes to have a chance, but Courtney Vandersloot’s would-be game-winner missed the mark as time expired. It’s the first time in 21 years.

Pocket Aces—Back-to-Back: Las Vegas set the WNBA regular-season record for wins in 2023 (34), and they went 8-1 in the postseason. They’re the first team to go back-to-back since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks.

Liberty Losses in the Finals: The Liberty are now 2-10 in WNBA Finals games and still searching for the franchise’s first title. They’ve reached the Finals five times but failed to win. The 2023 league MVP, Breanna Stewart, was held to just 10 points on 3-for-17 shooting for New York.

A’ja Wilson Wins Finals MVP: In a battle of the super-teams, the 2022 league MVP secured her first Finals MVP award with a 24-point, 16-rebound performance in the closeout game. Wilson and co. were without the 2022 Finals MVP, Chelsea Gray, due to a foot injury.

Super-Team Prediction: The Aces and Liberty were the top two teams all season long, and there’s no reason to think either roster will fall apart. Both teams boast a “Big 4” and this might’ve just been Round 1 of a multi-year WNBA Finals rivalry-in-the-making.

Watch: Aces Hold Off Liberty in Game 4 (70-69) to Win Back-to-Back WNBA Titles

Sporting News: Is Las Vegas the Best WNBA Team Ever? Aces Establish Dynasty With WNBA Finals Win

Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images