WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris led a White House celebration Friday for the 2022 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, praising the team for its “grit and determination” on the court and “ferocious” advocacy in support of colleague Brittney Griner during her detention in Russia last year.
The Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun 78-71 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals to win the title.
“It was only five years ago that this franchise moved to Las Vegas and now they are the first major professional sports team in Nevada history … to win a championship, and that’s because this team defines grit and determination,” Harris said.
The Aces were led by Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and regular season MVP A’ja Wilson. Both players presented Harris with a No. 49 jersey.
ok, that was a fun experience 🥹 thank you @VP for having us 🫶🏾
— A’ja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) August 25, 2023
Becky Hammon became the first rookie head coach in WNBA history to win a championship. She joined the Aces from the San Antonio Spurs, where she became the first full-time female assistant coach in NBA history.
Harris also praised the Aces for being role models and for serving the Las Vegas community through a team foundation, supporting student health and mental…
