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A parade of Aces

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A parade of Aces

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Lindsay Gibbs
Sep 26, 2022
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A parade of Aces

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Hi, friends. So, last week was a lot. There are many bad things happening in the world right now. Usually, this newsletter focuses on injustices. In fact, I’m working on multiple stories on the subject right now.

But sometimes it is important to press pause on the misery and celebrate the wins. The Las Vegas Aces did just that last week, after they won the WNBA championship with a thrilling 78-71 victory over the Connecticut Sun, partying non-stop from Uncasville to the Vegas strip.

And now we’re going to follow in their footsteps.

Before moving on to more serious matters this week, I want to relive some of my favorite moments from their champagne-soaked festivities.

1. Everything about A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray’s post-game press conference.

Twitter avatar for @heyalyshahey
what’s wrong with a bob?! SOMETHING. @heyalyshahey
A’ja was TOO LIT. 😭😭
10:56 PM ∙ Sep 19, 2022
5,050Likes1,232Retweets

This compilation of the drunkest and most ridiculous moments from the press conference with the regular season MVP and Finals MVP should definitely be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. It’s hard — almost impossible — to pick my favorite moment, but here are three I love a lot:

0:15 — Kelsey Plum’s boom-box cameo

0:58 — Chelsea telling A’ja under her breath, “Isaidnottodrinkrightnow” as A’ja continues to chug champagne.

1:39 A’ja looking for the reporter on Zoom in the room.

(Don’t worry, we’ll get to the “four shots” part soon.)

2. Head Coach Becky Hammon breaking it down.

Twitter avatar for @WNBA
WNBA @WNBA
That feeling of waking up as #WNBA Champs 🏆 @LVAces DID THAT ‼️ 🎵: '2maro' - Armani White | @unitedmasters
2:00 PM ∙ Sep 19, 2022
1,148Likes197Retweets

It was so much fun to see Coach Hammon let loose. What a legend.

3. Sydney Colson’s lives.

Las Vegas Aces reserve guard Sydney Colson went live on Instagram almost non-stop for the 48 hours from the locker-room celebration to the parade after-party, and goodness are we lucky she did.

I hope some enterprising sold saved all the lives and will edit them down to a best-of video, but for now, I’m just going to watch this clip from the post-championship photo shoot on repeat.

Twitter avatar for @madeforthew
Made for the W @madeforthew
Views from a CHAMP ‼️📱 @SydJColson 😂😂 | #MadefortheW
12:32 AM ∙ Sep 19, 2022
625Likes72Retweets

Some gems:

  • “A’ja don’t have no shirt, but it don’t maaaaaaaaatteerrr!!!”

  • Eva, A’ja Wilson’s mother, DANCING IT UP, as Colson yells, “Yeah mama.

  • “Look at Jackie smiling, never before seen.”

  • Sydney pretending like she’s posing in the photo with A’ja and her parents.

4. Amaya saying “night night.”

Steph Curry popularized the “night night” celebration during the Golden State Warriors’ championship run this year, but in the Aces locker room on Sunday, Dearica Hamby’s daughter Amaya made it her own.

Twitter avatar for @LVAces
Las Vegas Aces @LVAces
😴😴
Image
Image
8:27 AM ∙ Sep 19, 2022
1,072Likes104Retweets
Twitter avatar for @dearicamarie
Dearica Marie Hamby @dearicamarie
Twitter avatar for @hoop4thought
Tyler Marsh @hoop4thought
Night night. BIG CHAMPS! 🥱 🖤❤️ ACES UP! TALK TO US NIIIIIIIIICEEEEEE‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
11:51 PM ∙ Sep 18, 2022
1,576Likes254Retweets

Amaya rightly celebrated the championship right along with the Aces — and even managed to get mom to let her sleep in the following morning. Well deserved.

Twitter avatar for @dearicamarie
Dearica Marie Hamby @dearicamarie
Amaya think she with the 💩s but I hope she know she still got school tomm. 😂
1:42 AM ∙ Sep 19, 2022
2,471Likes104Retweets
Twitter avatar for @dearicamarie
Dearica Marie Hamby @dearicamarie
Update: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣
Image
6:05 PM ∙ Sep 19, 2022
4,100Likes230Retweets

5. A’ja setting a “four-shot minimum” and calling for Four Lokos at 8 am the day of the parade.

In the post-championship presser in Connecticut, A’ja Wilson declared, regarding the upcoming parade in Vegas, “If you ain’t four shots in, don’t come.”

Twitter avatar for @BleacherReport
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
"If you ain't four shots in don't come." A'ja Wilson is ready for the Aces celebration parade 🤣 @HighlightHER
12:18 AM ∙ Sep 19, 2022
8,669Likes1,316Retweets

She took things up a notch on Tuesday, asking for Four Loko at 8:00 in the morning.

Twitter avatar for @_ajawilson22
A'ja Wilson @_ajawilson22
WHERE THE FOUR LOKOS AT?!!
3:14 PM ∙ Sep 20, 2022
11,622Likes1,460Retweets
Twitter avatar for @fourloko
Four Loko @fourloko
@_ajawilson22 we have been summoned
3:17 PM ∙ Sep 20, 2022
1,751Likes135Retweets

6. Parade fashion.

Speaking of four shots, peep A’ja’s parade shirt.

Twitter avatar for @LVAces
Las Vegas Aces @LVAces
CHAMPS ARE HERE! 🏆
Image
Image
Image
Image
12:26 AM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
2,945Likes491Retweets

A’ja Wilson and Riquana Williams win with their custom-made tees, but everyone looked fabulous.

7. Kelsey Plum and her cigar.

Twitter avatar for @LVAces
Las Vegas Aces @LVAces
A whole mood. @Kelseyplum10 // #RaiseTheStakes
Image
Image
5:01 AM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
49,018Likes4,661Retweets

She is the moment.

Twitter avatar for @Kelseyplum10
Kelsey Plum @Kelseyplum10
Ask for forgiveness, not permission- parade motto 😂😝😝
5:53 PM ∙ Sep 20, 2022
5,190Likes376Retweets

8. The way Vegas showed up for the parade.

LOOK AT THIS.

Twitter avatar for @LVAces
Las Vegas Aces @LVAces
𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 Thank you Las Vegas! You showed up and showed out! 2022 @WNBA Championship Celebration ☑️ #RaiseTheStakes // #WNBAChampions
Image
Image
Image
Image
6:18 AM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
922Likes182Retweets
Twitter avatar for @LVAces
Las Vegas Aces @LVAces
Turn us up one time Las Vegas! 🏆🍾 #RaiseTheStakes // #WNBAChampions
6:57 AM ∙ Sep 22, 2022
1,785Likes258Retweets

I’m very emotional.

9. Local TV cutting to commercial during the speeches because of all the cussing.

Local news in Vegas tried to air the parade live, which was fantastic, but when the Aces players reached the stage and started giving speeches, it quickly became clear that FCC guidelines were in trouble: “Broadcasting obscene content is prohibited by law at all times of the day. Indecent and profane content are prohibited on broadcast TV and radio between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when there is a reasonable risk that children may be in the audience.”

Twitter avatar for @krislumague
k r i s @krislumague
Local tv looking to pull the plug when Plum called the girls bad bitches and everyone started dropping F bombs 😂😂
Image
7:16 PM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
251Likes22Retweets

10. Dearica Hamby announcing she was pregnant at the championship parade.

Twitter avatar for @DimeUPROXX
Dime @DimeUPROXX
Dearica Hamby: WNBA champion (and also she's pregnant!) 👏 (via KTNV)
2:08 AM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
1,069Likes171Retweets

In the ultimate mic-drop moment, Aces forward Dearica Hamby corrected the host who referred to her as “Amaya’s mom” by saying, “It’s no longer Amaya’s mom, it’s Amaya and Legend’s mom.”

Her teammates went wild, and if there was for a second any doubt about what Hamby meant, Sydney Colson quickly cleared it up by pantomiming a pregnant belly.

On Instagram Live later that night, Amaya confirmed that she was going to have another brother!

Twitter avatar for @togethxr
TOGETHXR @togethxr
.@dearicamarie CONGRATS! 🤰
4:34 AM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
79Likes6Retweets

“Legend” is quite the fitting name for a baby in utero during a WNBA championship victory. Just incredible stuff.

Of course, not everyone is impressed.

Twitter avatar for @SydJColson
Sydney Colson @SydJColson
No offense @dearicamarie but women have gotten pregnant for centuries so we’re not throwin u a parade for it hun 🫶🏾
5:05 PM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
1,569Likes58Retweets

Share

Thanks so much for supporting Power Plays. Since we’re already are way past the email limit, here are a few more of my favorite tweets/moments from the week:

Twitter avatar for @HighlightHER
highlightHER @HighlightHER
We gon hold you to it auntie! 👀🎤 @IAMANITABAKER
Image
11:19 PM ∙ Sep 20, 2022
593Likes66Retweets
Twitter avatar for @IAMANITABAKER
Anita Baker @IAMANITABAKER
@SydJColson @Khristina @LVAces Annnnd. Also, to spotlight the Awareness & Intentional use of Your Platform, @LVAces & @WNBA for Breonna Taylor/Human Rights, issues. Using, My Gift🎼 to Celebrate @LVAces is A Pleasure... *NBR♥️🤣 No Bag Required
5:43 PM ∙ Sep 25, 2022
79Likes3Retweets
Twitter avatar for @TheAthleticWBB
The Athletic WBB @TheAthleticWBB
Vegas supporting Vegas 🤝 Raiders fans got to watch the moment the Aces won the #WNBAFinals 🎥 @mickakers
10:59 PM ∙ Sep 18, 2022
144Likes24Retweets

Twitter avatar for @SydJColson
Sydney Colson @SydJColson
This may come as a surprise, but…I lost my voice
4:34 PM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
521Likes19Retweets
Twitter avatar for @_ajawilson22
A'ja Wilson @_ajawilson22
I need nap lmaoooooo
1:33 AM ∙ Sep 21, 2022
2,685Likes122Retweets
Twitter avatar for @Kelseyplum10
Kelsey Plum @Kelseyplum10
San Antonio ➡️ Vegas. The Realest OG @SydJColson 🤞🏼💜
Image
Image
5:43 PM ∙ Sep 20, 2022
1,927Likes137Retweets

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A parade of Aces

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Lorene Kennard
Sep 28, 2022

I waited a minute to read this newsletter for when I had time to savor it. I'm from Illinois, so it was painful to see the Sky lose in the semis. But, I'm also a U of SC grad, so I couldn't be happier for Gamecock great A'ja Wilson. I think my favorite clip here was of the RAiders fans cheering watching the end of the game on the big board. Slowly, but surely, women's sports are chipping away at getting the attention and respect they deserve. Thank you for this newsletter!!

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Nola
Sep 28, 2022

I love how this was put together! Every newsletter is so well researched and entertaining. I don't have social media, so having access to this championship content, alongside your commentary is so valuable! Thanks for this.

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