A’ja Wilson got another ring Saturday.
She also got another reminder that celebrating a championship and opening a new season are two very different jobs.
Two jobs, one night
Before the Las Vegas Aces’ 99-66 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Wilson and the Aces received their 2025 WNBA championship rings at T-Mobile Arena. It was a deserved moment for a team that brought another title to Las Vegas.
However, Wilson made it clear afterward that she is not a fan of mixing ring ceremonies with game nights.
“I hate these ceremonies like this,” Wilson said. “I do, because obviously you want to enjoy it, but at the same time, there’s a whole other business side of it that you have to take care of, and it’s hard to compartmentalize that at times.”
She is right.
The moment needed room
Championship celebrations should breathe a little. They should feel like celebrations, not pregame assignments squeezed in before a real game tips off.
The players deserve that. So do the fans.
This one had an extra wrinkle, too. The game was moved to T-Mobile Arena, and traffic around the Strip was a mess. Some fans even showed up at Mandalay Bay, including yours truly, because I was apparently too dumb to read my ticket and just assumed the Aces were playing at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
That is on me.
Still, it also proves the larger point. Ring night should not feel rushed, confusing or jammed into the front end of a game that counts.
Phoenix crashed the party
The Mercury did not need any extra motivation, but the ceremony probably did not hurt.
This was a rematch of the 2025 WNBA Finals, a series the Aces swept. Phoenix had to watch Las Vegas celebrate another championship before trying to start a new season against the team that ended its last one.
Then the Mercury played like a team that had been waiting for the moment.
Phoenix beat Las Vegas 99-66, and ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported it was the largest loss by a defending WNBA champion in a season opener. She also reported it was the Mercury’s largest season-opening win in franchise history.
PHNX Mercury put it more sharply on social media: “The rings were nice, the W is nicer.”
That line stings because it is exactly the danger of ring night. One team is celebrating the past. The other team is trying to ruin the party.
No excuse, still true
Wilson was careful not to blame the ceremony for the loss. She said the Aces’ defensive issues had nothing to do with what happened before the game.
That matters.
But her larger point still stands. The Aces have earned the right to celebrate properly, and their fans have earned the chance to celebrate with them without fighting game-night chaos.
The team should be able to enjoy the rings with the city. Then, on another night, it should get back to work without handing the opponent more fuel.
The crown needs space
“The hand is getting heavy,” Wilson said, “but the crown is getting heavier.”
That was the best line of the night.
The Aces are carrying history now. They are carrying expectations, attention, ceremonies, marketing obligations and everybody’s best shot.
That is part of being champions. Still, Wilson is right.
The crown deserves its own spotlight.
The game deserves its own night.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
