Last night might've been a noteworthy game for the Seattle Mariners. Formerly a punching bag, the beleaguered franchise defeated the Detroit Tigers in 15 innings to advance to the ALCS, 3-2. However, they weren't the main focus on SportsCenter.
That would be the Aces, who won their third WNBA title in four seasons by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury. In fact, they won convincingly, 97-86. You can thank the brilliance of A'Ja Wilson, who continues dominating the WNBA landscape despite being overlooked for some women named Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Hey, it's better to fly under the radar than to be firmly under the radar.
But the Aces can also thank the Vegas Golden Knights for that winning culture. After all, it's not easy to be the Western Conference champions in your first season. It takes careful planning and an ambitious front office to put yourself firmly in a winning position.
Being a winning franchise takes more than sheer luck, you know. You must do a couple of things to make the magic happen. In turn, you will set the roots for a winning formula for a city. Take notes, Raiders. You could learn a thing or two here!
How the Vegas Golden Knights established a winning blueprint for Sin City sports and the Las Vegas Aces
As mentioned, you need a gritty front office to make the magic happen. When the Golden Knights entered the 2017 Expansion Draft, they weren't looking for pieces to eventually trade. Sure, people expected Vegas to flounder in their first season. But that wasn't the plan.
Instead, it was acquiring players like Shea Theodore, Alex Tuch, and Reilly Smith in trades. But you also had to hit home runs in said Expansion Draft. That meant picking up players like Marc-Andre Fleury and eventual Conn Smythe winner, Jonathan Marchessault.
But let's go back to the trades for a second. That means looking at players like Jack Eichel and pulling the trigger. Eventually, those names pay off, giving you a franchise center similar to A'Ja Wilson. Add in a no-nonsense head coach in Bruce Cassidy and you're cooking. Think of Becky Hammon in this position, where she runs the show.
Finally, you need a solid front office that's committed to winning. Say what you want about Mark Davis and his Moe Howard haircut. But he created a winning product with the Aces. It's akin to what Bill Foley did with the Golden Knights. Lo and behold, you have a solid product that has established itself firmly within the Las Vegas confines.
All of this makes for winning products within Sin City. Following the Aces and the Golden Knights were teams like the Aviators (Pacific Coast League champions), UNLV Men's hockey, and UNLV football. That's not bad for a city in *checks notes* Nevada.