For the second straight season, the Las Vegas Aces are WNBA Champions. The defending champs edged out the New York Liberty 70-69 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals to become the first team to repeat in over 20 years.
Becky Hammon’s team overcame injuries and the looming threat of New York’s “Superteam” to finish the regular season with a 34-6 record. They gelled at the perfect time, losing just one game in the playoffs, to solidify themselves as one of the greatest teams in WNBA history.
Afterward, they celebrated in style. They also couldn’t wait for the post-game presser to end before starting the celebration.
Hammon, A’ja Wilson, and Alysha Clark showed up with champagne in hand to speak with reporters about their hard-fought repeat championship when the rest of the team swarmed into the media room, complete with a speaker blasting “Knuck If You Buck.”
KP HAS THE SPEAKER AND THEY PLAYING KNUCK IF YOU BUCK IN THE PRESSER #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/nGOhP4zYkb
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) October 19, 2023
And the ACES HAVE ENTERED THE PRESSER pic.twitter.com/8bLx0GeoWz
— Gigi Speer (@gigi_speer) October 19, 2023
From there on in, it was like Clark and Wilson had their very own cheering section for everything they had to say.
"Imma go to war with these wounded warriors everyday. Crutches, boot, and scooter, I DON'T CARE I am going to war." – A'ja Wilson #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/8qudFZsmrx
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) October 19, 2023
At one point when a bilingual reporter asked for the players to say something to Spanish fans, they happily obliged.
https://twitter.com/TylerDeLuca/status/1714843510262681611
And since they had a captive audience, they tried to suss out which reporter in the room was the lone person to vote A’ja Wilson 4th place for MVP (Wilson won the award in 2022 but lost to Breanna Stewart in 2023). Alas, no one owned up to the vote in the room.
"Who voted A'ja 4th place for MVP?" – Alysha Clark
AND THEN THE WHOLE TEAM PULLS UP ASKING #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/p6MTluAR63
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) October 19, 2023
When Wilson got asked a question about her team’s “failed repeat in college,” she and the others in the room couldn’t contain themselves.
A'ja got asked about her "failed repeat in college" and if it impacted her on this back to back run. Everyone's reaction was HILARIOUS. #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/9IKFdvf80c
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) October 19, 2023
Wilson and the Aces essentially dropped the mic to end the press conference before leaving with their music blasting in victory.
"Back to back champs you already know what it is. THE ACES." – A'ja Wilson
And that is a wrap on the #WNBAFinals. pic.twitter.com/XeXt5hn6xR
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) October 19, 2023
Now that’s how you celebrate a championship.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.