Guard Chelsea Gray scored 20 points and handed out six assists on Sunday as the Las Vegas Aces beat the Connecticut Sun 78-71 to capture the 2022 Women’s NBA title.
The Aces claimed their first WNBA title in franchise history, beating the Sun three games to one in the best-of-five title series.
The victory was the first major professional sports championship for a club based in Las Vegas — where the Aces set up shop in 2018 after the franchise was launched as the Utah Starzz in 1997 and moved to San Antonio, Texas, in 2003.
It was also extra sweet, Gray said, after the Aces fell in five games to the Phoenix Mercury in last season’s playoffs.
“We didn’t like that feeling we had last year,” said Gray, who was named the WNBA Finals MVP.
“It was a tough moment but it built character. It was setting something up for the following year.”