Las Vegas Aces celebrate after defeating the Phoenix Mercury 100-85 at T-Mobile Arena Sunday Sept. 10, 2023.
Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 | 6:45 p.m.
It was mostly the same.
The pregame festivities. The music. The vibes. Public address announcer Chet Buchanan with the player introductions. The only difference was the attendance doubling in an arena that could easily hold an NBA team if given the opportunity.
Before the Golden Knights return to hockey action in two weeks to begin the defense of their Stanley Cup championship, the Aces called T-Mobile Arena home on Sunday. They will do so again Wednesday when they begin their own championship defense in Game 1 of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs against the Chicago Sky (7 p.m., ESPN2).
The Aces, who normally play home games at Michelob Ultra Arena, played for the first time at T-Mobile on Sunday, a 100-85 win over the Phoenix Mercury. The win capped the greatest regular season in league history — a 34-6 record, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, and as good a chance as any to become the newest dynasty in the WNBA.
An announced attendance of 17,406 watched the Aces put a cap on a notable season.
“This was a big deal,” Aces star A’ja Wilson said. “There was a time in the game when I was sat back, and I looked around, and it’s truly amazing to watch how much this fanbase has grown.”
In a year the WNBA increased the league schedule to 40 games — from 36 last year — the Aces became the first team to have four players average at least 15 points a game, led the league averaging 92.6 points a contest and had the second best scoring defense in the league at 80.2 points.
And even without having Candace Parker in the lineup as she recovers from foot surgery, the Aces won 85% of their games.
It turned out to be an easy day at T-Mobile Arena before the Aces even tipped off. The New York Liberty, who chased the Aces for the top spot in the league standings, lost 90-88 to the Washington Mystics on a buzzer beater by Brittney Sykes to lock in the seeding.
The Liberty will play the Mystics in the best-of-3 series starting Friday.
But Aces coach Becky Hammon preached the importance of coming into Sunday, after playing the Mercury in Phoenix on Friday, not taking the last-place Mercury lightly. Even with Phoenix down key players, including Diana Taurasi, the Aces were not going to let up.
After a sluggish first quarter, the Aces dominated the rest of the way. They shot 52% from the floor and went 14 of 33 from 3-point range.
Wilson put an exclamation point on her resume to become a back-to-back MVP. She had a game-high 36 points, along with eight rebounds, five steals and three blocks. Kelsey Plum broke out of a recent shooting slump to finish with 30 points and six 3-pointers.
“My teammates are just real hoopers,” Plum said. “You need great players across the board in this league.”
With the Aces running away as the attendance leaders of the league — averaging more than 9,100 fans a game — Sunday was proof they can put even more people in the seats, especially in a building that’s been accustomed to winning as of late.
“I’ve said it from the start,” Hammon said. “Vegas is a basketball town.”
The Aces will soon return to Michelob Ultra Arena with the atmosphere similar to last year: loud and a tough place to play as a visitor.
“We’ve been here since the beginning,” Plum said. “I remember when I could see my mom (in the stands) and no one else. It’s been really cool to see (this fanbase) grow.”
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
