Chelsea Gray scored 15 of her 31 points in the fourth quarter and the Aces advanced to the Finals after beating Sue Bird and Seattle Storm 97-92. That was the final game for Bird, who announced earlier this season that she will retire in the 2021-22 season finale.
Sue Bird, a U-Conn product, won four WNBA titles in her career. At the international level, she has won a five Olympic gold medals, five Russian National league titles and five titles.
Bird stayed on the court after the final buzzer, receiving hugs from the entire Aces roster. She wiped away tears while the crowd cheered and cried along with her and chanted “Thank you, Sue.”
She was a 12-time All-Star and has eight All-WNBA selections, four WNBA anniversary teams appearances, and she is the WNBA’s all-time assists leader. The Aces won the best-of-five series 3-1 with all the games being tense and pressure-packed.
It will be the third Finals appearance in franchise history for Las Vegas. The Aces lost to Seattle in 2020 in the WNBA bubble played in Florida, and the franchise reached the Finals in 2008 while still in San Antonio, losing to Detroit.
Breanna Stewart tied the WNBA playoff record with 42 points and Jewell Loyd added 29. But Storm could not find any answers, and the Aces had an answer for every charge Sue Bird and co. made in the second half.
DeWanna Bonner and Courtney Williams each scored 19 points as the Connecticut Sun rout Chicago Sky 104-80 on Tuesday night and force a decisive Game 5 in their WNBA semifinal series.
Alyssa Thomas added 17 points for Connecticut, which will travel to the second-seeded Sky for the winner-take-all game on Thursday night. Sun raced to a 22-6 lead, scoring 10 of the first 12 points. Thomas was a big reason why with seven points in the first five minutes.
The Sky got back within eight by the end of the first quarter, but couldn’t get much closer as Connecticut had an answer for every Chicago run. Connecticut scored the final five points that made it 58-41 at the break.
Kahleah Copper scored 16 points and Emma Meesseman added 14 for the Sky.
