The Las Vegas Aces celebrated their second consecutive WNBA championship Monday night on the Strip and said they aren't done. “We coming back,” WNBA Finals MVP A'ja Wilson said. The Aces became the first WNBA team in 21 years to win back-to-back titles, defeating the New York Liberty in four games.
Aliyah Boston had an incredible first season and was honored by the league as the WNBA Rookie of the Year on Monday. The South Carolina graduate was a unanimous choice by the 60-person national media panel, becoming the fifth rookie to be chosen on every ballot and first since A'ja Wilson did it in 2018. Boston became the second Fever player to ever win the award, joining Tamika Catchings.
A'ja Wilson and the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces are headed back to the finals for the third time in four seasons after a scrappy performance. While Wilson was denied a fourth consecutive 30-point game with plenty of defensive attention on her, the Dallas Wings still couldn't keep the Aces from advancing for the chance to win back-to-back titles. Wilson had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and the five-time All-Star had a tying layup while the Aces scored the game's final 11 points to beat the Wings 64-61 on Friday night and complete a three-game semifinal sweep.
The big lesson is don't tick off A'ja Wilson. After saying it “hurt like hell” to just miss out on winning her third MVP, she responded on Tuesday night with 30 points and 11 rebounds to help lift the Las Vegas Aces to a 91-84 victory over the Dallas Wings and 2-0 series lead in the WNBA semifinals. Wilson is the first player in WNBA playoffs history with three consecutive 30-point games.