Sunday's WNBA semifinals action saw top-seeded New York end back-to-back defending champion Las Vegas's season while the Connecticut Sun staved off elimination to force a deciding Game 5 against the Minnesota Lynx.
New York ends Aces' WNBA three-peat campaign
The Liberty claimed a second-straight trip to the WNBA Finals with Sunday's 76-62 victory over the Aces, ending to the defending champs' three-peat dream in four semifinal matchups.
After being held to just four points in Game 3, Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty with 22 points. Teammate Breanna Stewart was just behind with a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double.
Though New York led nearly wire-to-wire, Las Vegas kept Game 4 within reach, thanks in large part to three-time MVP A'ja Wilson's 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks. The Aces trailed by just two points after three quarters, but a 16-2 fourth-quarter Liberty run ultimately earned them the win.
"They've been the best team all year — let's be real," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said about New York after the game. "Their group earned it. They earned it all year."
Having walked away disappointed last season, New York — the only original franchise still playing without a title — knows that nothing is guaranteed in their upcoming sixth Finals appearance.
"We haven't done anything yet," a fired up Ionescu said after Sunday's win. "We're three wins away, and that’s really important to understand. We got to come out and we got to punch because nothing has been given to us yet."
How to watch the Liberty in the 2024 WNBA Finals
Game 1 of the best-of-five Finals tips off in Brooklyn at 8 PM ET on Thursday. Live coverage will air on ESPN.
Connecticut forces winner-take-all Game 5 against Minnesota
After Friday's home-court loss to Minnesota, the Sun tied up their semifinal series with a come-from-behind 92-82 win on Sunday, forcing a winner-take-all Game 5.
Trailing by seven points at the break, Connecticut staged a second-half comeback. The Sun outscored the Lynx 49-32 to keep their first-ever WNBA title dream alive.
Ty Harris led Connecticut with a career-high 20 points in her post-injury return to the starting lineup. Four of her teammates also put up double-digits: Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner each had 18 points and eight rebounds, while DiJonai Carrington and Marina Mabrey added 15 and 10 points, respectively.
2024 Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier, who led the Lynx with a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double, said her team needs to step it up when the series moves back to Minnesota on Tuesday.
"We have to go home and defend our home court. We're both playing for our lives, so we have to play with that level of intensity," Collier said after the loss.
How to watch Sun vs. Lynx in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA semifinals
The Sun and Lynx will tip off Game 5 in Minneapolis at 8 PM ET on Tuesday. Live coverage will air on ESPN2.
With Aces star A'ja Wilson snagging her third MVP honors last weekend, the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award has now taken centerstage. Both Wilson and Lynx standout Napheesa Collier are frontrunners, sparking heated debates.
Aces coach Hammon speaks out on A'ja Wilson
Last Thursday, Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon called out ESPN journalists who revealed their 2024 WNBA votes. Notably, Hammon went to bat for players not on her roster, like New York's Sabrina Ionescu, but particularly took voters to task for giving their DPOY nod to Collier.
"They got the MVP stuff right," she told the press. "The Defensive Player of the Year? If you have to, as a journalist or a reporter, go down a rabbit hole to find somebody else to be in the conversation, you already have the answer."
Lynx coach Reeve fires back in support of Napheesa Collier
As the previously scheduled guest on Monday’s episode of Good Game with Sarah Spain, Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve was asked if a DPOY vote for Collier “is a vote deserving of anger.”
In response, Reeve — the 2024 Coach of the Year favorite — explained that while she had not seen Hammon's press conference, "most people that I talk to think [Collier's] a unanimous decision."
"You look at the top three or four defensive teams — in A'ja's case, can you be the Defensive Player of the Year when your defense isn’t in that?" Reeve continued. "She's had an incredible year, but she can have MVP and Napheesa Collier is Defensive Player of the Year."
Who deserves to win WNBA Defensive Player of the Year?
Reigning back-to-back DPOY Wilson, whose 451 rebounds set the WNBA's new single-season rebound mark this year, has certainly made her case for a threepeat. She led the league in blocks per game, plus recorded a career-high steal rate this season.
Collier, who slightly trails Wilson in rebound and block rate this season, shines in steals, with a per-game average good for second in the league. But it's the Lynx forward's ability to defend multiple positions, plus her role in positioning Minnesota as the WNBA's second-best defense per possession — a measure that sees the Aces claim fifth in the league — that reportedly is giving her the edge with DPOY voters.
Ultimately, the choice between the two stars seems to be about individual prowess versus team contribution. It's a decision Reeve summed up as simply, “it depends on what you value when you vote.”
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson became just the second player in WNBA history to be unanimously crowned MVP on Sunday, claiming the 2024 title shortly before the league playoffs began.
In a record-breaking season league-wide, Wilson's 451 rebounds set the WNBA's new single-season rebound mark. She also inked herself in the history books as the first WNBA athlete to post 1,000+ points in a season.
Stat sheet aside, it's her commitment to her team that Aces head coach Becky Hammon says sets Wilson apart.
"We always talk about, 'Make your teammate great, and then in the process you become the greatest,'" Hammon explained.
"A'ja is...the greatest, because she's so authentically committed to that: pulling greatness out of other people. She's amazing. She's the best player in the world, and she's one of the best people in the world."
The 28-year-old now joins retired WNBA legends Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson as the only players to ever earn three career MVP awards. She previously won in 2020 and 2022.
Lynx forward Napheesa Collier finished second in 2024 MVP voting, followed by 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart, Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark, and Connecticut Sun vet Alyssa Thomas.
Top seeds hold court in first WNBA postseason games
In Sunday's postseason tip-off, all four top-seeded WNBA teams managed to avoid upsets. First, in the league-leading Liberty's 83-69 win over No. 8-seed Atlanta, New York guard Courtney Vandersloot made postseason history by notching her 365th career playoff assist to break Sue Bird's all-time playoff record.
Making postseason history of her own, Connecticut's Marina Mabrey scored a playoff-record 27 points off the bench to help the No. 3-seed Sun top the No. 6-seed Fever 93-69.
The aforementioned Collier — this season's MVP runner-up — also impressed by putting up 38 points for the No. 2-seed Lynx in Minnesota's 102-95 victory over No. 7-seed Phoenix.
In arguably Sunday's most dramatic ending, No. 5-seed Seattle went cold against reigning champs Las Vegas in the fourth quarter. After leading the No. 4-seed Aces by as many as 12 points, the Storm failed to score a single last-quarter field goal, ultimately handing Las Vegas the 78-67 win.
The second bouts in the WNBA's best-of-three first round will take the court on Tuesday and Wednesday, with if-necessary third games slated for Thursday and Friday.
On Wednesday morning, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the WNBA would be adding a 15th team to its roster, with the league awarding Portland, Oregon its own expansion franchise.
Portland joins Golden State and Toronto as the latest WNBA additions, as the league capitalizes on this season's surging popularity. Golden State will begin play next season, with Toronto and Portland set to tip off in 2026.
The Rose City was an obvious choice to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who said, "Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans."
Notably, this is not Portland's first WNBA team. The city originally hosted the Fire, which competed for three seasons before folding in 2002.
The expansion team will be primarily owned by the Bhathal family, who also recently purchased the NWSL's Portland Thorns.
A'ja Wilson adds WNBA rebound record to 2024 stats
Aces superstar A'ja Wilson added yet another feat to her 2024 WNBA MVP campaign on Tuesday, breaking sidelined Chicago rookie Angel Reese's single-season rebounds record in Las Vegas's 85-72 win over Seattle.
Wilson, who didn't know she'd claimed the record until asked about it in the post-game press conference, reacted with nonchalance. "That's cool," she told reporters. "I don't hunt rebounds, so it's not something that's always on my mind... I'm focused on putting the ball in the hoop."
Her explanation had head coach Becky Hammon visibly rolling her eyes, saying she's had to remind Wilson that "the other half of [her] job is to freaking rebound."
Ultimately, Wilson acknowledged that the record is "a blessing," saying "this league is tough, so if my name can be in the record books in some sort of way, it's a blessing."
Rebound record is Wilson's third WNBA feat in one week
Wilson's written her name in the WNBA record books three times in the last six days. Her latest rebound accomplishment comes just two days after Wilson became the first-ever WNBA player to score 1,000+ points in one season, and less than one week after she shattered the league's single-season scoring record.
Tuesday's win also handed the defending back-to-back champion Aces at least the fourth playoff seed. That top-four spot secures them home court advantage for their first postseason round.
While the WNBA readies for a comeback, Olympic 3×3 bronze medalist and LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby has escalated her legal disputes with both the Las Vegas Aces and the league at large.
In a lawsuit filed on Monday, August 12th, Hamby claims her former Las Vegas team subjected her to "repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination, and retaliation" in regards to a pregnancy she disclosed prior to her January 2023 trade to Los Angeles.
Hamby also alleges the WNBA failed to properly investigate and punish the organization. The league did suspend head coach Becky Hammon for two games and rescinded the team's 2025 first round draft pick.
From contract extension to LA Sparks trade
Hamby won a WNBA Championship with the Aces in 2022, about two months after signing a deal to extend her contract for two additional years. The suit states that she found out she was pregnant in mid-July of 2022 — after finalizing her extension deal — and informed the team in early August.
Following her pregnancy disclosure, Hamby alleges that she suffered retaliation including rescinded access to player housing and the refusal to pay her daughter's school tuition. She also contends that Hammon questioned her dedication to the team, asking her if she'd planned the pregnancy prior to her trade.
After giving birth to her son in April 2023, Hamby played all 40 games of the 2023 WNBA season with the Sparks.
Hamby seeks legal damages as Aces double down
Hamby is now seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, including coverage for economic losses and attorney's fees.
"The unprofessional and unethical way that I have been treated has been traumatizing," she said in a January 2023 social media post.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Aces affirmed "As an organization, we continue to stand behind our statement on May 16, 2023, made at the conclusion of the WNBA's investigation into this matter."
Chelsea Gray made her return to the basketball court on Wednesday, helping the Aces to a 94-83 win over the Seattle Storm.
The lauded point guard missed the first 12 games of the season, having been injured in last year’s WNBA Finals. The left foot injury caused her to miss Game 4 of the championship series, and she’s continued to rehab it through the beginning of the 2024 season.
Her return on Wednesday was capitalized by the fact that she needed just 20 seconds to make an impact and record her first assist. While she finished with just one point, she had seven assists, four rebounds, and two blocks to go alongside it in 15:30 minutes. Gray's contributions on the night brought her career assist record up to 1,500.
"I probably went through every emotion leading up to today," Gray said after the game. "I was a little anxious all day. It's been a long time since I've been out on that court. But the fans were amazing from the time I came out to warm up to the time I checked in the game. It was a rush and a feeling I missed a lot."
It’s been a roller coaster of a season so far for Las Vegas, who have lost five of their last seven games. Gray, who averaged 15.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 2023, has proven herself a much-needed addition to the team’s lineup.
"Felt like my heart," Aces coach Becky Hammon said when asked how she felt hearing the crowd erupt for Gray's return. "She's the leader of our team. I thought she did a wonderful job too."
A first-of-its-kind sponsorship has hit the WNBA, with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announcing on Friday it would be supporting all 12 players of the two-time WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.
The deal grants each player $100,000 dollars in exchange for representing the city in 2024 and 2025.
"The offer's really simple: We want you to just play, we want you to keep repping Las Vegas, and if you do a three-peat, that'd be icing on the cake," LVCVA president and CEO Steve Hill told the team in a video released Friday.
BREAKING: We're doing something that's never been done before. We're going #ALLINLV and sponsoring EVERY. SINGLE. PLAYER. on the @LVAces roster this season! pic.twitter.com/ntBZVZeFJu
— Las Vegas (@Vegas) May 17, 2024
The news comes as WNBA salaries and team caps continue to be a point of contention in the league. With many players making less than $100,000 a year, outside sponsors have long helped bridge the financial gap for players.
On Saturday, Aces coach Becky Hammon said that the local tourism bureau had reached out to all of the players individually via their agents, leaving the Aces organization out of the conversation entirely. The goal was to avoid breaking cap circumvention rules established by the league’s CBA.
"I'm going to put it to you real simple like this: Most of sponsorship people go after the top two people," Hammon said. "[A'ja Wilson] is taken care of — she's got plenty of stuff going on. [Kelsey Plum] has plenty of stuff. In this situation, from what I understand, is they wanted the whole team. So they went and called individuals, agents. I don't know the details.
"I have nothing to do with it; the Aces don't have anything to do with it. It's just odd, but that's basically what happened."
Despite the apparent separation, the WNBA has launched an investigation into the legality of the sponsorship, according to multiple sources.
While the sponsorship does not directly violate the league-wide salary cap because the LVCVA did not orchestrate the sponsorship with the club, other teams are likely to raise questions about its fairness and whether or not it violates the spirit of the cap rules. The deal could potentially upend the balance of what teams are able to offer players in the free agency market.
"We have 100 influencers we pay to represent Las Vegas," Hill told the Associated Press. "This isn’t any different then that. All of these ladies are completely eligible to have sponsorships. We are just asking them to represent Vegas."
It’s not the first time the league has investigated the Aces for cap circumnavigation. Just last year, the team faced consequences — Hammon was suspended for two games while the team lost its 2025 first-round draft pick — for crossing league rules regarding impermissible player benefits and workplace policies.
"We get [things] from our agents all the time; they wanted it to be a big moment because it's something that's never happened before," Aces star forward A'ja Wilson said about the LVCVA's offer. "I don't understand the investigation; I haven't dived into it yet. I just looked at my phone [after the game] and was like, 'Oh, wow, just another day in the life of the Aces.' We can't ever start just normal, it's always going to be something, and that's okay."
The Las Vegas Aces had a lot to say during their 2023 WNBA championship parade, with much of it directed at the New York Liberty.
There was a lot of talking about going for a three-peat, with WNBA Finals MVP A’ja Wilson noting that the Aces are “going to do this s–t again.” The Aces were the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back titles, beating the Liberty in four games.
“We’re going to keep coming back, and everybody hates it,” Kelsey Plum told the crowd at Monday’s parade.
Yet the Aces’ Game 3 loss to the Liberty — their only loss throughout the 2023 playoffs — still sticks out as a source of frustration. In particular, Sabrina Ionescu’s “night night” celebration after hitting a key 3-pointer remains a point of contention. Sydney Colson mimicked the gesture after the Aces’ series-clinching win over the Liberty, and it came up again during the parade.
“They messed up when they went ‘night night,’” Chelsea Gray said. “And Sydney said I’m sitting on that Sabrina!”
Meanwhile, head coach Becky Hammon called out Liberty star Breanna Stewart’s Game 4 stat line, which included her going 3-for-17 from the field while being guarded by Alysha Clark.
“Alysha Clark was my rookie in San Antonio,” Hammon said, to which Clark replied: “Talk about it.”
“3-for-17 is you need to talk about it,” Hammon responded.
Wilson, meanwhile, was focused on her MVP snub, opting to wear a shirt that had the voting numbers on the back. She finished third for the regular-season award behind Stewart and Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas. Wilson also called out the person that voted for her in fourth place, noting that she was going to use it as fuel for next season.
.@_ajawilson22 got the MVP votes and put em on a shirt!
— highlightHER (@HighlightHER) October 24, 2023
Petty A’ja is my favorite A’ja 🤭🔥 pic.twitter.com/boXXiB4o0d
And at the end of the night, the Aces couldn’t resist getting in one more “night night.”
Night Night, Aces fans 😴#RaiseTheStakes pic.twitter.com/kyIdpiDHzZ
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) October 24, 2023
A’ja Wilson took one last shot at the person who put her in fourth place on their WNBA MVP ballot.
During the Las Vegas Aces’ championship parade Monday, Wilson wore a shirt that featured the MVP voting results on the back. Wilson received 17 first-place votes, 25 second-place votes, 17 third-place votes and one fourth-place vote, and she finished third overall behind Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas.
But Wilson had the last laugh, winning the WNBA title over Stewart’s New York Liberty and the Finals MVP award. And during the Aces’ celebration, Wilson spoke about using the snub as fuel for next season.
“Whoever you are out there that voted me fourth, thank you. Thank you so much,” she said. “I wanna say I appreciate you because that just means I got a lot more work to do. And we coming back. We coming back baby. We’re gonna do this s–t again.”
Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon touted Wilson during her speech, calling out the player who she believes will be the “GOAT of the GOATs.”
“Listen here, I’m an old ass b–ch,” Hammon said. “I played against all of the GOATs. Oh, I’m gonna put it out there: This gonna be the GOAT of the GOATs. She don’t even know how I’m about to be on that ass, because she’s that good.
“I’m trying to think of a NBA comp, I’m trying to think of a WNBA comp. And there ain’t nobody in the world like A’ja Wilson, who willed us on her back.”
Hammon and Wilson’s college coach, South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, also have called out Wilson’s MVP snub. For Hammon, that’s a sure sign that the voters “didn’t do their homework,” she said during the Aces’ playoff run.
Becky Hammon on A’ja Wilson being the WNBA GOAT:
— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) October 24, 2023
“I’m an old a** b**ch. I played against all the goats. I’m gonna put it out there. This [A’ja Wilson] gon be the goat of the goats.” pic.twitter.com/XbxMd6Rt20
The 2023 WNBA Finals were billed as a battle of the titans between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. But in the end, only one team lived up to the superteam label.
The Liberty assembled a superstar lineup in the offseason, signing Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot and trading for Jonquel Jones. The Aces, meanwhile, added Candace Parker – though they went without the injured star for the latter half of the season.
In the end, the Aces came out on top, winning a second consecutive WNBA title. Las Vegas won the first title in franchise history in 2022 with much the same lineup.
“This group has been through so much. But it’s here,” Aces guard Kelsey Plum said. “And there was a lot of years that we weren’t so super. But you can’t build a superteam in a couple of months. It takes years.”
Plum also questioned New York’s team mentality, not just its superteam credentials.
“We also knew that, as much as they’re a team, they’re not a team, if that makes sense,” she told Yahoo Sports. “They’re really good individual players, but they don’t care about each other. And you can tell in those moments. They revert back to individual basketball.”
For Las Vegas, the road back to the championship wasn’t an easy one. Injuries left the team depleted for Game 4 of the Finals, but in the end, there wasn’t anything that could keep the Aces from back-to-back championships.
“This is a moment that we need to celebrate,” Finals MVP A’ja Wilson said. “Not a lot of people get a chance to do it, and for us to do it short-handed is truly amazing. It just makes this win that much better.
“I’m going to get choked up … This s— wasn’t easy.”
Winning one title isn’t easy. Winning consecutive titles is even harder.
“This one’s sweeter,” head coach Becky Hammon said after the series-clinching win. “It just is. It’s harder to do.”