Las Vegas Aces Deal A Winning Hand In Home Opener To A Full House Of Fans
The Las Vegas Aces kicked off their home season in style, delivering a winning game to a full house of excited fans decked out in Aces gear and pink A'One sneakers.
Fans filled Michelob Ultra Arena inside Mandalay Bay on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and brought their energy and excitement for the team's first home game of the 2025 WNBA season.
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After a tough start against the Washington Mystics, the Aces got the win in the dramatic last few seconds of the game.
Friday Night In Las Vegas...But Make It Aces-Style!
The Blast | Melanie VanDerveer
The first home game of the Aces season is in the books and a winning one at that!
The Aces pulled off a thrilling 75-72 victory over the Mystics on Friday night, staging a late-game comeback with just seconds before the final buzzer.
Down 72-66 with a minute left in the game, the Aces proved to their fans that nothing will hold them down. A clutch performance from Jackie Young tied the game and with just under 2 seconds left in the game, Jewell Loyd delivered a game-winning three-point shot with an assist by A'ja Wilson.
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The sold-out crowd erupted in applause and excitement! And to make it more magical, it was the Aces 27th consecutive sold out crowd!
Center Court Ceremony For Being Part Of Team USA 2024
The Blast | Melanie VanDerveer
Before the game began, four Aces players were brought center court to receive recognition for being part of the 2024 Olympic Champions. Wilson, Young, Chelsea Gray, and Loyd each received a commemorative ring for contributing to Team USA's gold medal victory over France at the Paris Olympics in summer 2024.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the day before the ceremony, Wilson said, "Obviously the gold medal is (enough) for us. So, yeah, the ceremony is gonna be cool, but we know the biggest ceremony of them all is making sure that we get a win tomorrow."
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Gray added, "'I had no idea. I'm happy. I mean, it's a lot of hard work that we dedicated to our craft to be able to even have a chance to get a ring. So I'm excited for that.'
A'ja Wilson Hits Big Milestone During The Aces' Home Opener
During the Aces' home opener, Wilson hit an exciting milestone - 500 career assists.
Fans shared their excitement over the career milestone on the team's Instagram page.
"A'JA WILSON IN TOP TOP TOP!" one fan wrote. Another added, "She can't be stopped - stopped - stopped."
Another great milestone of the evening was selling out the arena for the first game of the season.
A'ja Wilson's Signature Shoe Was Seen All Around The Arena!
The Blast | Melanie VanDerveer
Wilson's first signature shoe was officially released on May 6, 2025 and it didn't take long for fans to get a pair. That was proven just looking around the arena and seeing the hot pink shoes all around - on players and fans alike.
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Of course, Wilson had a pair on, as well as some of her teammates. Fans of all ages were decked out in Nike A'One shoes and shirts from the A'One collection.
Nike A'One, Wilson's first signature shoe, makes her the first-ever Las Vegas Aces player and only the 12th WNBA player in history to release a signature shoe, and fans are clearly loving it!
The Blast Was In Attendance For The Aces Home Opener
The Blast was at Friday night's game for all the excitement - from warmups to that last second winning basket. Vegas fans are high-energy, ready for wins and proudly decked out in team gear to show their love for their home team.
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The arena was full, with all ages represented. In fact, there were so many children loving every second of the game, with many wearing Aces gear and A'One sneakers. After the game, Wilson took the time to sign some of the kids' shoes before leaving the court.
From start to finish, this game experience was top tier entertainment like only Vegas knows how to do. An electrical halftime show from Photon Krew, a high-energy, tech-driven LED dance crew based in Vegas, as well as performances from the team's High Rollers and the Wild Card Crew dance team kept fans entertained.
Next up for the Aces - Sunday, May 25, the Aces face the Seattle Storm in Seattle. Friday, May 31, the Aces go up against the LA Sparks at home, and Sunday, June 1, they'll play the Storm again in Seattle.
See the full schedule on their website.
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