Alexa PhilipESPN3 min read
The Aces won Game 1 of the WNBA Finals with a strong second half performance
The Aces outscored the Liberty by 20 points in the second half to win Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
LAS VEGAS — It’s been about a week since the WNBA officially approved retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady’s purchase of a minority stake in the Las Vegas Aces, and the all-time great has been released from the league. Coming to a very important lesson: As he posted on Sunday, “No one is safe from KP.”
KP — better known as Kelsey Plum, the Aces’ 2017 No. 1 draft pick — defeated the New York Liberty in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals in Las Vegas Later it was revealed that she told Brady, who was sitting on the sidelines watching the game, “It’s your time to show up.”
Brady previously played for the Aces in May 2022. On Sunday, he sat next to Aces majority owner Mark Davis, who also owns the Las Vegas Raiders, as they watched Plumb beat the Aces 99-82. Scored 26 points in the winning game.
Still, the seven-time Super Bowl champion is a good sport after Plum gave him a hard time.
“What I loved about him was he always said, ‘You already know this,'” Plumb said. Before Brady invested in the WNBA, Plum revealed that he was a big fan of Brady.
The Aces have been thriving since Davis acquired the team in 2021, winning a championship in 2022 and now just two wins away from becoming the league’s first back-to-back championship since the 2001-02 season. The team also opened its own training facility/headquarters in Henderson earlier this year, the first of its kind in the WNBA.
“He’s very excited about the investment in our team and he understands what it means, not just us but the league, and paying attention to us,” Plumb said. “I kid, but it’s great to have him and I know he cares. His daughter and niece play women’s sports, so he understands the commitment it takes, so it’s cool to be a part of it.”
Brady wasn’t the only superstar at Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday: LeBron James, who’s close to two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, and WNBA icon Cheryl Swope Sheryl Swoopes was also present. Mark Wahlberg was also in attendance, and singers Jordin Sparks and Ashanti each performed the national anthem at halftime.
“It’s all love, it’s all love,” Wilson said of James. “LeBron has always had my back and he’s always been there for me in situations since I was in college. We have a great relationship, friendship and bond. It’s so cool to see the respect we have for each other… forever Shout out to everyone who came out to support us.”