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Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson wore a unique accessory to the team’s championship parade last Friday on the Las Vegas title after Wilson captured her third ring
The Las Vegas Aces captured a third WNBA title in four seasons last week when they completed a sweep of the Phoenix Mercury in dominant fashion.
The franchise was once again led by dominant forward A’ja Wilson, whose finals MVP trophy made her the first player in league history to win that trophy, the league MVP, and the league Defensive Player of the Year in the same year.
Wilson, set to be a free agent this winter in the murky WNBA post-CBA landscape, stunned at the team’s victory parade last Friday on the Las Vegas strip. She kept it simple with jeans and a t-shirt, but Wilson’s outfit was highlighted by her massive “Thanos” fist.
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Wilson flaunted her three WNBA rings in style on Friday. The 29-year-old is now halfway to collecting the six “infinity stones” just as Thanos does in the Marvel franchise.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon, Wilson’s coach for each of the three championship wins, heaped praise on her star player. You have your Mount Rushmore; she’s alone on Everest,” Hammon said. “There’s no one [else] around.”
Wilson, a four-time MVP, finished the season averaging 23.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks in another histoic campaign.
The six-time All-Star is also a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, three-time blocks leader, two-time finals MVP, and boasts two Olympic gold medals (at the 2024 edition’s MVP).
Wilson returned the praise to Hammon. “This is a special, special group; we prayed together and were popping champagne together,” said. “She believed in us when no one did. We go nowhere without Becky Hammon.”
The Aces were hovering around .500 for most of the campaign before a late-season run got them over the line. “I love being their coach. I love being their friend. Pushing them sometimes to their disliking a little bit, but I’m invested in their greatness,” Hammon added.
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“This one hits differently because it was different. There was probably a lot more adversity than any of us anticipated. We’re all human, and we’re humans that wanted to get it right and get it right together.”
Las Vegas point guard Chelsea Gray agreed. B: “To be right here right now [compared] to where we were … there was a lot of doubt [but not] in that locker room,” she said. “We had confidence in each other. I’m just really proud of how we just stayed the course and trusted the process the entire time.”
