Friday, October 9, 2020

On the Beat With the Las Vegas Aces 10/06/20

Yesterday, I featured the 2020 WNBA champion Seattle Storm. Despite being defeated by the Storm in the Finals, the Las Vegas Aces should be proud of the successful season they had.
The Aces finished 18-4 to take 1st place in the Western Conference and a #1 seed in the playoffs. The Finals featured the top two teams and the Storm came out on top. After the final loss, Aces' coach Bill Laimbeer and players A'ja Wilson, Angel McCouughtry and Kayla McBride appeared in the press session. Like the Storm, all talked about the game, the series, the season and the importance of what was accomplished. All echoed the sentiments of the Storm in stating they would continue to use their platform to raise awareness and affect social change.
For me, this was an incredible season. With no outside media on site, media sessions were open to the press via Zoom. I had the opportunity to talk to star players like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Courtney Vandersloot and Candace Parker. Although ordinarily I would have been part of the press at Chicago Sky home games, I never would have been able to talk at length to so many players and coaches around the league.
One special experience was developing a bit of a friendship with Las Vegas Aces coach Bill Laimbeer. The former NBA star had a noted rivalry with my Chicago Bulls during his playing days. While in high school, Laimbeer also had a part as a "Sleestak" on television's Land of the Lost. In our first session, when I asked about that role, he really opened up and we had a lot of fun all season.
Congratulations to the Storm for winning their second WNBA title in three years and to the Aces for a fantastic season. More importantly, congratulations to the entire league on successfully managing to have a season, crown a champ and promote social change. Go to WNBA.com for more info on the league. Also, check here for my recurring coverage of the league.
 

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