EDITORIAL: Las Vegas celebrates the champion Aces

Just because it has become a regular occurrence doesn’t mean you should take it for granted.

On Friday night, fans of the Las Vegas Aces gathered in Toshiba Plaza at T-Mobile Arena to celebrate the team’s recent WNBA championship. The Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA’s first-ever seven-game final series. Although the Aces won every game, it was a competitive series.

In Game 3, the Aces led by 17 points heading into the fourth quarter. The Mercury mounted a furious comeback in front of their home crowd. With just five seconds left in the game, the score was tied at 88. Aces star A’ja Wilson received the ball at the elbow. She drove to her left before stopping and shooting a turnaround. Despite being absolutely draped by a defender, Ms. Wilson sank the jumper.

The Aces clinched the championship in Game 4 by a more comfortable margin, 97-86. Ms. Wilson was named Finals MVP, her second. Her trophy case is getting crowded. Just this season, she won league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. She also led the WNBA in scoring. For her career, Ms. Wilson is a four-time regular-season MVP.

This was the team’s third championship in four seasons, but it didn’t come easily. Midway through the season, the Aces were 14-14. They even lost by 53 points to the Minnesota Lynx. But the Aces showed that how you finish is more important than how you start.

They ended the regular season on a 16-game winning streak and finished tied for the second-best record in the league. Including the playoffs, they ended the year on a 25-3 run. Coach Becky Hammon deserves an immense amount of credit for her steady hand and high standards throughout the season.

The Aces aren’t just popular here in Las Vegas. Game 1 of the WNBA Finals had 1.9 million viewers, the most in 28 years. For the entire WNBA playoffs, ratings were up 16 percent compared to last year. In contrast, the most recent Game 1 of the NBA Finals had its lowest rating in decades, excluding two COVID-affected seasons. While NBA still had more viewers, the WNBA — led by Las Vegas’s own Aces — has momentum.

Unfortunately, the next WNBA nail-biter involves a labor dispute. Fans of the Aces should hope it’s resolved quickly and with a minimum amount of collateral damage. While opposing defenses can’t stop Ms. Wilson, this could. It would be a shame if the Aces aren’t defending their title next year.

Las Vegas is home to many impressive buildings. What the Aces have built is also impressive — a dynasty.