LAS VEGAS — There wasn’t an empty seat in “The House.” Just before tipoff of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, shortly after noon (PT) on an NFL Sunday, Michelob ULTRA Arena was rocking. Extended “Aces” chants echoed from the sellout crowd as it feverishly twirled “Raise the Stakes” towels in anticipation of what was to come. The atmosphere remained electric for over two hours as the Aces beat the Liberty 99-82 to take a 1-0 series lead.
The crux of all the support, of course, is winning.
“Vegas appreciates winning,” Aces guard Kelsey Plum said Sunday. “This city has really rallied around this team, even before last year’s championship. It’s just so cool to see. And not only are they selling out, but they’re interactive — they’re booing, they’re cheering, they’re barking. They’re such a part of it. It’s just so cool to see the growth of the game. We’re going to need ’em. This is going to be a tough series. They really help us. We feed off their energy. And tonight was tremendous.”
The defending WNBA champion Aces had the best record in the league this season and are playing in their third WNBA Finals in four seasons. They need two more wins to become the first team since the 2002 Los Angeles Sparks to win back-to-back WNBA titles. It’s…
