The Las Vegas Aces beat the odds to lift their third WNBA championship in four years on Friday, sweeping the Phoenix Mercury in four games to put a golden finish on a season that once threatened to be a bust.Â
A'ja Wilson earned her second Finals MVP honour after putting up a record 112 points during the championship series, embracing the trophy in a scene no-one could have imagined just two months ago.
Last year the Aces were beaten 2-1 by New York Liberty, who went on to win the championship for the first time, in the playoff semi-finals, ending their dream of a three-peat.
After going 11-11 in the first half of the season, the Aces suffered the worst home defeat in the history of the WNBA, losing 111-58 to the Minnesota Lynx on August 2. To some, it marked the end of a once-promising dynasty in the making.
"This one hits different because it was different," said coach Becky Hammon. "There was probably a lot more adversity than any of us anticipated."
"We did everything at a Grade F."
But the 53-point beating marked the turning point, as the Aces closed out their regular season with a 16-game winning streak, silencing the critics before claiming the second seed in the postseason.
"We understood we had enough in the locker room but we had to really believe in one another and look in the mirror and hold ourselves accountable," Wilson said.
"That's what it took - it woke us up. We were like 'Never again. We don't want to be embarrassed like that ever again.'"
The championship run also added to Wilson's legend: On Friday, she became the first player to win the scoring title, league MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in a single season.
"When you're compared to greats, when you're compared to legends, that means you're doing something right," said Wilson, whose performance in the finals earned comparisons to the NBA's retired great, Michael Jordan.
"I would never be who I am without my team-mates - they're really the true MJs."
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