The reigning champions Las Vegas Aces narrowly defeated the New York Liberty with a 99-82 victory in Game 1 of the 2023 WNBA Finals. The Aces now lead the best-of-5 series 1-0.
Game 2 of the WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces will take place at the sold-out Michelob ULTRA Arena, accommodating 12,000 enthusiastic fans. A’ja Wilson, the Aces’ forward and Defensive Player of the Year, is anticipating an intense game and is thrilled about the level of engagement from the fans.
“I wasn’t surprised that it was sold out,” Wilson revealed in an interview with Sports Seriously. “Our fans are truly devoted and passionate about the game because it offers them a chance to have fun while witnessing outstanding basketball skills.”
Wilson emphasized that this WNBA Finals will showcase elite basketball that all fans can enjoy.
According to the Sports Business Journal, the Las Vegas Aces have had the highest home attendance in the WNBA this season, with an average of 9,551 fans per game.
WNBA Expansion team in Bay Area
When asked about her thoughts on the future of the WNBA, Wilson highlighted the importance of expansion. She believes that expanding the league will create more job opportunities for talented players and could lead to improved travel arrangements for existing teams.
The WNBA has announced that a new expansion team will join the league in 2025, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and owned by Joe Lacob, the Co-Executive Chairman and CEO of the Warriors, and Peter Guber, Co-Executive Chairman. The ownership group has committed to paying a record $50 million expansion fee for the WNBA franchise over 10 years, as reported by Sportico.
The team will play their home games at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Despite not having a team name or players yet, the announcement of the expansion team resulted in 2,000 deposits for season tickets in just five hours.
This marks the first expansion of the WNBA since 2008, when the league added the Atlanta Dream to its roster.
“I am thrilled about the expansion and glad that there is committed ownership behind it,” Wilson commented.
Basketball: WNBA set to announce expansion team in San Francisco Bay Area
Private travel is essential for WNBA, Wilson says
Wilson also expressed her concern about another critical issue within the league: travel accommodations for the WNBA teams.
The incident involving Brittney Griner at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in June 2023 brought attention to the need for improved travel arrangements in the WNBA. Griner’s experience sparked a debate on providing charter airplanes for WNBA teams, and Wilson echoed the call for change.
Wilson expressed discomfort with being seated next to strangers on flights to away WNBA games, as players are expected to perform at their best. Therefore, she believes that private travel is essential for the overall safety of players.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reference
Rachel Adams is your WNBA insider, delivering comprehensive coverage of women’s basketball. With a commitment to highlighting the talent and achievements of WNBA players, she provides game analysis, player profiles, and inspiring stories from the league.
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