LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Aces ahead A’ja Wilson had the concept greater than as soon as as she watched a video concerning the 2014 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

“These guys,” she concept, “are a lot like us.”

Middle/ahead Tim Duncan, petite ahead Kawhi Leonard, capturing safeguard Manu Ginobili and level safeguard Tony Parker have been the core of that Spurs workforce. Wilson and guards Chelsea Grey, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Younger are the core of the Aces, the protecting WNBA champions pushed of their quest to copy their identify this age.

Las Vegas lecturer Becky Hammon concept it will assistance the Aces to look at how the Spurs performed and supported one some other in 2014, when San Antonio received its 5th and most up-to-date NBA identify.

The Aces’ championship underneath Hammon latter age confirmed the avid gamers’ skill to bond in combination. They haven’t wanted exterior motivation this age in looking to run it again. Nonetheless, Hammon sought after the Aces to be mindful of ways the Spurs rallied round one some other in 2014.

“I see lots of similarities in the character of the teams,” Hammon stated. “The care factor that 2014 team had, the unselfishness, the commitment to whatever it takes to win, no matter who gets the credit.

“That’s what I sought after from us going into this postseason. I advised them, ‘You’ve got the nature to do it. There are getting to be some video games the place we need to win with protection and unselfishness.'”

The Aces are 6-0 in the playoffs, beating the New York Liberty 99-82 on Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Las Vegas will try to take a commanding lead in the best-of-five series in Game 2 on Wednesday (9 p.m. PT, ESPN/ESPN App) at Michelob Ultra Arena.

No team since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-2002 has won back-to-back WNBA titles. Hammon played against that Sparks team, just as she did versus the Houston Comets (four consecutive titles from 1997 to 2000) and the Minnesota Lynx (four titles from 2011 to 2017).

Hammon was near the end of her playing career in 2014, having suffered a torn ACL early in the 2013 WNBA season. So she began preparation for her coaching future, spending the NBA season with the Spurs throughout 2013-14 as she rehabbed her knee.

Hammon returned to the court to play her final WNBA season in 2014, then officially joined Gregg Popovich’s Spurs coaching staff that fall.

Soccer is frequently referred to as “the pretty recreation,” but basketball the way it was played by the 2014 Spurs at their best was just as stunning. It was like a symphony of passing. The Spurs could work the ball around as if they were magicians doing sleight-of-hand tricks until they had the best look, possession after possession.

Coming off the disappointment of losing the 2013 NBA Finals to the Miami Heat, the Spurs returned their core players and went 62-20 in 2013-14. They led the NBA in assists per game (25.2), 3-point percentage (39.7) and net rating (8.1); were second in field goal percentage (48.6); and ranked sixth in scoring average.

“We all know we’re totally in a position to being particular person stars. However we will be able to’t achieve our general purpose with out every alternative.”

A’ja Wilson at the Aces

Their cohesiveness and the way supportive they have been of each other stood out even past the numbers.

“Watching the Spurs now makes me think of some of the similarities there are between us,” stated Wilson, who used to be a highschool senior in 2014. “They all had the ability to take over a game, but they knew they couldn’t win a championship without each other.

“That’s us, too. We all know we’re totally in a position to being particular person stars. However we will be able to’t achieve our general purpose with out every alternative. We book every alternative responsible, we’ll form sacrifices. They have been very disciplined, and so are we.”

Within the common season, the Aces led the WNBA in scoring moderate (92.8 PPG), garden purpose proportion (48.6), offensive score (114.8) and defensive score (99.2) and have been 2nd in assists (24.1) as they went 34-6.

“Just seeing things like Tim Duncan’s relationship with Pop, and mine with Becky — it’s incredible how much they seem the same,” Wilson stated. “I really related to that.”

Grey additionally remembers eye one form from 2014 wherein Parker used to be in brief speaking to Popovich in a coaches’ huddle at the courtroom, next went again to the bench with the dry-erase board to turn his teammates. Grey as some extent safeguard stated she has finished that a couple of instances herself.

“What really stood out to me is that everybody was playing for each other,” Grey stated. “You have the most success when you want the best for people playing next to you. Then it just flows through the whole organization.”