Tag: 2023 wnba finals

The most unhinged tweets after the Aces won back-to-back WNBA titles

Aces players lost no time in addressing the haters on social media after winning their second straight title.

The Las Vegas Aces have done it again. They are the first team in 21 years to win consecutive WNBA titles. Las Vegas defeated the New York Liberty, 70-69, in Game 4 to secure the win. The contest was the most-watched Game 4 in WNBA history, and the WNBA Finals were the most-watched in 20 years, up 36% from 2022.

Aces players lost no time addressing the haters on social media. If you have followed the team, you know A’ja Wilson and Sydney Colson do not hold back on social media. They have no problem directly responding to shade and hate.

Colson is one of the funniest, if not the funniest, and most unhinged players in the WNBA and even traipsed her way into a television show. Her outspoken attitude, coupled with her wit, makes her a fierce follow on social media. Her comeback skills were in their finest form after the Aces won their second title.

See some of the most unhinged tweets from Colson & Co. below:

The WNBA rightfully fined the New York Liberty for ducking the media after finals loss

This is quite literally the definition of loser behavior. You cannot be serious, New York Liberty.

Losing sucks, but the New York Liberty have to be better.

After the Las Vegas Aces won another title, this time on New York’s home court, the air went out of the building. The Liberty lost at the highest possible levels — the WNBA Finals — and the last thing they likely wanted to do was answer questions about how and why they lost.

It’s painful. It’s ugly. Frankly, it’s gut-wrenching. But it’s the right thing to do. In victory or defeat, you must be accountable and responsible for the product you put on the court.

Those obligations were broken by the Liberty, prompting action from the league for ducking the smoke they created.

Pouring salt in an already festering wound is a new $25,000 fine the Liberty will pay for violating media availability rules. Whew.

Per ESPN’s Terrika Foster Brasby, the league took exception to only head coach Sandy Brondello, Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot making appearances post-game.

Via the WNBA’s social media accounts, fans could see a visibly missing Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Betnijah Laney for New York’s portion of the presser. Those actions came with a $2,000 fine for each missing player. Ouch.

It would have been pretty wild, but the Liberty could have pulled a Marshawn Lynch for any questions they didn’t want to answer — “I’m here so I won’t get fined” — and gone about their evening.

But, altogether, avoiding answering questions does not send a good message to anyone who sees them as upper-echelon athletes.

Pull it together, New York!

Sydney Colson immediately roasted haters with ‘Night Night’ clapback after Aces win

The Aces DEFINITELY kept the receipts.

The Las Vegas Aces won another championship Wednesday and kept tabs on the things said about them. Veteran Sydney Colson said she had time to address any haters.

Let’s be honest: the Aces are mind-bogglingly good. From holding the WNBA’s best regular season record to having A’ja Wilson and Alysha Clark win league awards, they are the epitome of elite athleticism.

The Aces have also withstood several things that shifted how the team needed to operate, including significant injuries to Candace Parker, Chelsea Gray, and Kiah Stokes.

Through it all, they stared greatness in the face and dared it to flinch. After they altered the WNBA history books, Colson had a role in the team’s title win and had something she needed to get off her chest.

In the most Sydney Colson way possible (if you’ve seen The Syd + TP Show, you know what I mean), she grabbed a mic during post-game interviews and immediately interrupted ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

“People wanted to count us out because we had two of our starters down, but they don’t know we got some dogs on this team,” Colson said passionately. “So, I have two words to say: night, night!”

Colson emphatically repeated “night, night” again and hit Stephen Curry’s iconic sleeping celebration. Cold-blooded.

Kierstan Bell, Colson’s teammate, also joins in while cackling — pure chaotic energy and comedy. A clapback for the ages.

Just the way the Aces drew it up.

Aces’ Alysha Clark beautifully dedicated 2023 WNBA title to her late father in emotional interview

Be right back. Crying our eyes out.

In an emotional post-game interview after the Las Vegas Aces became back-to-back WNBA champions Wednesday night, forward Alysha Clark dedicated the monumental win to her late father.

Per The Athletic, Clark’s father, Duane Clark, was a musician and an athlete who played football. He heavily supported the Denver native and loved that his daughter played sports like him. Sadly, he passed away in September of 2022.

Earlier this year, Clark reflected on their relationship. “He was everything. He was my biggest supporter,” Clark explained. “I mean, everything from high school through college. He was there for all the championships, pro. He was my No. 1 fan.”

Tonight, with emotions flowing, Clark explained to ESPN’s Holly Rowe why the Aces’s title-clinching win was in honor of her father.

Via the ESPN broadcast, Clark poured out her thoughts:

“He’s been with me all season. He’s been my sixth man. And I know he would be so happy right now, and I’m just so happy. I know he’s with me, and I wish he could be here. I wish I could call him. But this is for him. This entire season, I showed up every day because I know he loved watching me play.

“And I said, you know what, every day, every game, before the game, ‘My parents, Pops, I hope I make you proud. I hope you’re sitting there, joyous watching me play.’ That’s my prayer every day. So that’s how I show up on the floor.“

WNBA fans couldn’t help but notice such a heartfelt and soul-baring moment.

Here are the best reactions to Clark’s powerful dedication:

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

Mark Davis celebrated the Las Vegas Aces’ WNBA championship with a hilariously awkward dance

Cut a rug, Mark Davis – your WNBA team just won back-to-back titles.

WNBA ownership has been pretty good so far for Mark Davis.

Since buying the Las Vegas Aces in 2021 – and then hiring Becky Hammon as the team’s head coach just months later – he’s now seen the squad win two championships and blossom into a superteam.

The Aces beat the Connecticut Sun 3-1 last season for the first title in franchise history, and on Wednesday night became the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back titles when they topped the New York Liberty 70-69.

As A’ja Wilson and her teammates celebrated on the Liberty’s home floor, Davis wanted to get in on the fun. After all, he does sign their checks. He deserves to cut up a little bit.

Wearing an all-white suit, Davis basked in the glory of his second straight championship by doing whatever we want to call this:

Dance moves aside, Davis has been a good owner for the WNBA. Before the Phoenix Mercury hired Nate Tibbetts, Davis had made Hammon the highest paid coach in the WNBA. He’s also advocated for increased pay for players.

So, let’s give him this space to celebrate. Because meanwhile, Davis’ other team – the NFL’s Raiders – have just two playoff appearances since he inherited the team from his late father more than a decade ago.

Before the Las Vegas Aces, what was the last WNBA team to win back-to-back championships?

Becky Hammon, Lisa Leslie and Dawn Staley were still playing the last time a team went back-to-back in the WNBA.

Behind 24 points and 16 rebounds from A’ja Wilson – and somehow, without Chelsea Gray – the Las Vegas Aces beat the New York Liberty 70-69 Wednesday night to win their second straight WNBA Championship.

In a league that’s been full of parity for a while, it’s been a long time since the WNBA has seen a team win consecutive titles – more than two decades. While the Maya Moore-led Minnesota Lynx won four championships in seven seasons, they never won them consecutively.

The Aces are, in fact, the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back championships.

Before Las Vegas, the last team to win at least two straight titles were the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002. Those teams – coached by Michael Cooper and led on the court by Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie – beat a Dawn Staley-led Charlotte Sting squad, and a New York Liberty squad that featured current Aces’ head coach Becky Hammon.

Hammon’s Aces now join those Sparks and the 1997-2000 Houston Comets as the only teams to win consecutive titles in the WNBA’s history.

All-WNBA: Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, A’ja Wilson headline first team

Voting was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season and players were selected without regard to position.

The New York Liberty pushed the WNBA Finals to Game 4 with a decisive win over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. The Aces need only one more win to complete back-to-back WNBA titles. The WNBA also announced the 2023 All-WNBA first and second teams on Sunday.

Voting was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season, and players were selected without regard to position. Unsurprisingly, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, the 2023 WNBA MVP, Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas and Aces center A’ja Wilson were unanimously selected to the 2023 All-WNBA first team.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally also joined the first team. It is the second All-WNBA team selection for Collier but her first to the first team.

This is the first selection for Sabally to the All-WNBA team.

The second team is made up of Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, Aces guards Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd and Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu.

Each member of the All-WNBA first team will receive $10,300, and each member of the second team will receive $5,150.

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Liberty set ticket record after Mike Wilbon wrongly said Barclays Center had ‘worst’ home-court advantage

Mike Wilbon belongs on @OldTakesExposed for these comments.

The New York Liberty hosted the Las Vegas Aces for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday afternoon and it was a historic event.

There were 17,143 tickets collected for the game, according to the Liberty, which is officially the largest gate attendance in league history. That means no other WNBA game has ever brought in more ticket revenue.

After the game, Liberty star Jonquel Jones credited the fanbase for the crucial victory against the Aces (via ESPN):

“We knew that our fans were going to be behind us and New York was going to be watching and supporting and that’s what we wanted to do, go out there and play with a lot of pride and a lot of heart.”

The victory and the gate record came just mere days after recent comments from ESPN veteran Michael Wilbon, who stated that Barclays Center had the “worst” home-court advantage in the NBA and the WNBA.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ObzEUS7r95A?si=6Cg0eRk3Ck8uDl3k&t=1048

As noted by Nets Daily writer Lucas Kaplan, you can hear Wilbon’s unusual comments around the 17-minute, 30-second mark of the telecast from Friday (via ESPN):

“You need a rabid, Phillies-like crowd in Brooklyn. Oh wait. They’re barely awake in Brooklyn. It is the worst home-court advantage, home-court situation in terms of spirit in the entire NBA — all 30 teams (maybe Washington) — and the entire WNBA — all whatever it is, twelve teams? It’s the worst. There’s nothing to rally the Liberty. […] Brooklyn’s home court situation? It stinks. It’s dark. It’s quiet. It’s like a library. […] You hipsters better get a real arena because you stink right now.”

Disregarding his momentary uncertainty about how many teams play in the WNBA, as there are indeed twelve franchises before expansion to the Bay Area, these comments were all the way off.

The Liberty had the fourth-highest average attendance in the WNBA this past season, per BeyondWomensSports.com. Meanwhile, New York’s year-over-year average attendance increase (2,450) was good for the second-best in the league.

Claire Fahy recently wrote a more accurate description of attending a Liberty game (via The New York Times):

“The Liberty’s success this year has attracted fans from all over the city. They have packed the stands at Barclays in the team’s signature sea foam green, borrowed from the Statue of Liberty herself. The team sold out 11 games this season on its way to a franchise-best 32-8 record. […] Barclays is a different arena on Liberty game days than it is when the Nets are in town. There are free activities, such as a photo booths and a face-painting station, that set the tone early, getting fans ready for a raucous evening.”

Wilbon clearly hasn’t spent much time in Barclays Center to watch the Liberty. But perhaps that is able to change soon so he can have a more accurate perception.

Joe Tsai, who owns the Nets and the Liberty, invited Wilbon to attend the Barclays Center when New York hosts Las Vegas for Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.

New York trails the series, 2-1, but can even it up to force a Game 5 in Las Vegas with one more victory at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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ESPN handled Chelsea Gray’s brutal leg injury in the worst possible way

ESPN cannot be serious right now.

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray deserved better when it came to how ESPN handled footage of her injury during Game 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals.

Injuries, of course, are part of sports. It’s awful for everyone involved: the athlete, the organization, and the fans. Understandably, coverage of the injury is provided to give updates, add context, and piece together the storyline. A blatant lack of respect for the athlete is not included in that.

ESPN didn’t get that memo.

During Game 3, Gray went down with an apparent leg injury. The All-Star could be seen wincing in pain in the middle of play, trying to play through it and before going to the bench, and eventually, the Aces’ locker room.

But ESPN kept the cameras rolling, even as she struggled.

Out of respect for Gray, I will not post the extended footage, but trust me. It was BAD.

As Gray attempted to get off the court, the network switched to a camera that showed her trying to make it down a hallway. Viewers were given access to a clearly-in-pain Gray crying out (with audio) and unable to move without assistance.

Come on, ESPN. Seriously?

To make matters worse, the cameras continued to roll nearly the entire time Gray moved down the hallway with her team. At one point, the network did a split-screen view of Gray on one side and the game on the other. Unreal.

I have no problem showing a bit of behind-the-scenes coverage. This is commonly done in basketball, but in this case, with Gray in agony, it was too far. A quick flash on the screen and a cutaway back to the action gets that done. There was no need to keep the camera rolling as Gray dealt with her injury.

Gray deserves privacy as she receives care. I get it — the viewer experience matters, but there has to be some point when we get that she’s injured, and we’re filled in.

Be better.

The complete list of every WNBA player with a signature shoe deal

There are only 12 players that have had a signature shoe in WNBA history.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is dominating in the WNBA Finals, but even her unprecedented domination hasn’t garnered her a signature shoe deal. In fact, despite the record-breaking performances and overwhelming increase in viewership, there have only ever been 12 players with their own signature shoes bearing their names.

The WNBA is finishing up its 27th season, which means, on average, there have been .44 shoe deals per season. While the number has been rapidly picking up with three new deals in the past few seasons, shoe deals are not keeping pace with the growth of the WNBA.

The first shoe deal in WNBA history was the Nike Air Swoopes, named after legendary player Sheryl Swoopes. She was the first player to receive her own signature shoe, with the first model coming out in 1995.

The most recent player with a signature shoe? New York Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu, which launched in February 2023. Currently, there are three players in the WNBA Finals with a signature shoe deal, including New York’s Breanna Stewart and Ionescu and Aces forward-center Candace Parker.

See the complete list of every WNBA player with a signature shoe deal: