Take a bow, Las Vegas.
In winning the 2023 WNBA Finals, the Aces have finished off one of the greatest seasons in the history of professional basketball in North America. And that's no exaggeration. With back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year A'ja Wilson leading the charge, the Aces made a habit of rewriting the WNBA's history books throughout the 2023 season.
After winning the title in 2022, Las Vegas experienced whatever the opposite of a championship hangover is. It's hard to think of a better title defense than opening the season by winning 24 of your first 26 games. That's exactly what Las Vegas did.
Thanks in large part to their hot start to the season, the Aces finished the year with a WNBA-record 34 wins to just six losses. And Las Vegas' near-perfect 19-1 home record speaks volumes about the one-of-a-kind environment that's been established at Michelob Ultra Arena.
When the postseason rolled around, the Aces somehow found a way to outdo themselves, sweeping the first two rounds of the playoffs before winning the Finals in a highly-contested 3-1 series win.
And to put a bow on the amount of history made, Las Vegas is the WNBA's first back-to-back champion in over 20 years.
This season, Vegas found strength in numbers — however large or small that number was. After losing future Hall of Famer Candace Parker to injury in July, the Aces' rotation effectively dwindled down to six players. Apparently, that proved to be more than enough, even when two more players went down before the series-clinching Game 4.
There's Wilson, who is not only the face of the franchise but also one of the faces of the W. On any given night, you can count on Wilson to do it all on both ends of the floor, leading with her words and actions.
There's Kelsey Plum, the longest-tenured member of the roster who overcame a devastating Achilles injury to become even better than she was projected to be when she was selected first overall in 2017.
There's Jackie Young, the former No. 1 overall pick who, while quiet at times, has a game that's anything but. That especially held true during the Finals.
There's Chelsea Gray, the "Point God," who never takes a play off, and effectively serves as the team's heart and soul by seemingly rising to the occasion when the stakes are at their highest. Every. Single. Time.
And to complete the rotation, there's Sixth Player of the Year Alysha Clark and center Kiah Stokes, both of whom stepped up to take on larger roles, filling the void left by Parker's absence.
Watch one Aces game and you'll be able to tell that the level of team chemistry is unlike anything else in the league. And that's where consummate teammate Sydney Colson comes in, along with the trio of Kierstan Bell, Cayla George and Kiah Stokes.
Without a combination of the above four, Las Vegas doesn't find a way to win a title, seemingly against all odds.
From top to bottom, this Aces team is the model of success. They're doing things that no WNBA team has ever done.
After making a historic pledge to hire Becky Hammon, the Aces won a title during her first season on the sideline. After completing a historic project that gave the franchise a first-of-its-kind practice facility and team headquarters, the team went back-to-back.
These facts are far from a coincidence.
The investments the franchise has made into the team have had immediate payoff in the form of historic championship runs from a team that has shown no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Not only is this Aces team historic because of what they've accomplished, but also because of how they accomplished it. It's why they have their claim as one of the best seasons ever.
With back-to-back titles to its name, there should be no more questions — Las Vegas is home to the WNBA's next great dynasty.
