Page 15 - aruba-today-20220920

A15
SPORTS Tuesday 20 sepTember 2022

Aces poised to capture multiple WNBA tiles with Wilson, Gray

By DOUG FEINBERG bought it in 2021. He lured
AP Basketball Writer Becky Hammon from the
A’ja Wilson and the Las NBA by making her the first
Vegas Aces look to be a WNBA coach to have a
safe bet to win a few more $1-million-a-year contract
WNBA titles over the next and is building a brand
several years, a realiza- new practice facility.
tion that can’t be ignored “In Vegas, we are trying to
even though they haven’t build a culture that players
had very much time to cel- want to come and take
ebrate their organization’s part in something special,
first championship. something bigger than
“I think we found ourselves themselves,” said Ham-
in this league where ev- mon, named coach of the
eryone has their standard year as she led the Aces to
of how they’ve won, and the title in her first year.
we are creating that,” Wil- Hammon became the
son said not long after the first rookie coach to win a
franchise won its first title WNBA championship.
on Sunday with a 78-71 vic- She knows the history of
tory against Connecticut the franchise, starring as a
in Game 4 of the WNBA Fi- player from 2007-14. The
nals. “Our journey is just be- team was swept in the 2008
ginning.” Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson holds up the championship trophy as she celebrates with her team WNBA Finals. Now the or-
The Aces have several of their win in the WNBA basketball finals against the Connecticut Sun, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in ganization is celebrating a
their core players signed to Uncasville, Conn. Associated Press championship.
deals that will keep them “I don’t know, it’s actually
in Las Vegas for the next hasn’t been done in the in 2018. She led the team MVP Chelsea Gray and hard to put into words right
few years. None is bigger WNBA in 20 years. No to the WNBA Finals in 2020 backcourt mate Kelsey now,” Hammon said. “A lit-
than Wilson, who has al- team has won consecutive before they were swept by Plum. tle surreal. You know, when
ready won two MVPs and championships since the Seattle. “Knowing that we have I took the job in Decem-
is entering her prime at just Los Angeles Sparks did it in Now she has a WNBA commitment for next sea- ber, I thought when I start-
26 years old. She also was 2001 and 2002. championship to go along son is special,” Gray said. ed kind of breaking down
named defensive player “You see it. You see it,” Wil- with a NCAA title she won “We’re doing it for each their rosters that I could do
of the year for the first time son said. “This is what we’re while starring for South Car- other and it’s created a something with it. I had a vi-
too this season and will be building. This is what we’re olina as well as an Olympic bond.” sion of what I wanted to do
the centerpiece in which doing. This is it. I’m so happy gold medal. That bond starts at the top with this team.”
the Aces hope will be a title right now.” Besides their MVP, other with Las Vegas Aces owner Hammon’s vision culminat-
defense next year. Wilson has been the face of key players the Aces have Mark Davis. He’s invested ed with a title this year and
Las Vegas will be attempt- the franchise since she was signed for the next few sea- heavily in the team on there could be more on the
ing to do something that drafted No. 1 by the Aces sons included WNBA Finals and off the court since he horizon.q

Fans prove timely, assist Broncos with play-clock countdown

By PAT GRAHAM “I guess that was helpful,” thing quite like it. lack thereof and making keep talking about that. I’ll
AP Sports Writer Wilson said with a chuckle. “It was different,” he said sure the plays are coming talk with Russ, find out any-
DENVER (AP) — Russell Wil- “That was great our fans of the countdown. “I don’t in nice and clean,” Hack- thing that I can do to help
son didn’t even need to were into it.” know if that’s a good or ett said. “We’ve just got to him make it better.q
glance at the play clock Through a series of missed bad thing or what it is, but
late in the fourth quarter assignments and late-arriv- let’s see if they continue to
of Denver’s 16-9 win over ing play calls, the Broncos do it.”
Houston. The city’s newest (1-1) used up all of their Penalties are becom-
quarterback had the fans timeouts with more than ing a troubling trend for
counting it down for him. seven minutes remaining the Broncos under rookie
The Broncos needed some in the fourth quarter. That coach Nathaniel Hackett.
help with their clock man- included one when they They led the league with
agement again, and the didn’t have enough men a dozen infractions in their
crowd did its part on Sun- on the field for a punt re- opener and among their
day. turn and that missing play- 13 penalties for 100 yards
Fans chanted “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 er happened to be rookie against the Texans (0-1-1)
...” as if they were watching punt returner Montrell were three false-start calls
a basketball game. Wilson Washington. and two delay-of-game
said he appreciated the The crowd went from boo- penalties. Those are typi-
crowd’s assist on the late ing the Broncos early on to cally uncommon at home.
drive that ended with Bran- shouting out timely remind- “We’re just going to have to Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is pressured by
don McManus’ 50-yard ers of the play clock. Run- be sure we evaluate every- Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard (52) during
field goal for the final mar- ning back Melvin Gordon thing, whether it’s getting the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022,
gin. said he’d never heard any- the personnel out there or in Denver. Associated Press