On September 18, 2022, the Las Vegas Aces were crowned the WNBA champions. This victory marked history for the franchise as it was their first championship win and also the first major professional sports championship for Las Vegas. Being the top-seeded team, the Aces led a great season that ended with a bang. 

The 2022 WNBA Finals was a very competitive and interesting series to watch as teams advanced and lost. The semi finals matchups were intense: The Las Vegas Aces vs. The Seattle Storm and The Connecticut Sun vs. The Chicago Sky. The Aces took the Storm in three games after their first game defeat. The Storm’s loss led to Sue Bird’s last game in the WNBA as she retired an all star with four championship wins. Bird was in the league for 20 years and is one of the notable athletes who retired this year. The defeat of the Chicago Sky by the Connecticut Sun took fans by surprise as their semifinals experience came very close. The Chicago Sky, ranked 2nd in the league, is a very strong team with their main leader, Candace Parker. Because they won the championship in 2021, WNBA viewers had high expectations for the Sky. Despite losing a taunting two out of three games in the beginning, the Sun team did not give up and forced a decisive game 5, leading to their win. 

These results led to the 2022 finals matchup: The Las Vegas Aces vs. The Connecticut Sun. The Sun displayed the same semifinal perseverance with their game 3 win, but fell short when the Aces dominated and won game 4. Both teams were evidently eager to win the finals and both put up a good fight. 

Chelsea Gray was named the 2022 Finals MVP for her outstanding performance as guard for the Aces. Throughout the finals, she averaged 21.7 points, 7.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals. For game 4 specifically, she scored a team-high 20 points. Other impactful players included Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, and Jackie Young. Much praise is also given to their coach Becky Hammon, former 6-time WNBA all star and NBA assistant coach.