The WNBA devoted the 2020 to social justice issues
Similar to other teams around the WNBA, the Las Vegas Aces publish game recaps on the team's official website following each of their contests. The Aces take a unique approach to their recaps, however, as they feature notes about the death of Breonna Taylor and the ACLU's tracking of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in their ‘key stats’ section, and have been doing so for quite some time.
Prior to noting any actual key stats from the game at hand, the Aces have a paragraph about Taylor being "murdered" while reminding readers that a new trial involving the officers involved in her death is set for October 2024. The next paragraph lists the number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills the ACLU is tracking in the United States as of that specific date.
FILE - Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon looks on during a WNBA game against the Dallas Wings Sunday, June 5, 2022, in Las Vegas. (John Loche/AP Photo)
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In the Aces' most recent game recap, an 85-74 win over the Connecticut Sun on June 21, the ‘key stats’ begin with "It has been 1,561 days since Breaonna Taylor was murdered" followed by a note on the "523 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the United States."
OutKick has reached out to the Aces for comment, and if one is provided, the story will be updated.
Taylor was shot and killed in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13, 2020, and the Aces have included a note about her death as a ‘key stat' in each of their game recaps since the start of their 2020 campaign. The team's first game following Taylor's death was on July 26, 2020, a contest that was held in the WNBA ‘bubble’ due to the pandemic. The ‘key stats’ from the team's game on July 26 began with, "It has been 135 days since Breonna Taylor was murdered."
Tiffany Hayes #15, Chelsea Gray #12, Jackie Young #0, Kelsey Plum #10 and A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces talk on the court after it was announced that Wilson has the most consecutive 20-point regular season games in WNBA history with 19 during the fourth quarter of their game against the Connecticut Sun at Michelob ULTRA Arena on June 21, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Sun 85-74. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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The WNBA devoted the 2020 season to "the fight against systemic racism and police brutality with a focus on women victims" with teams wearing warm-up shirts with ‘Black Lives Matter’ written across the front of them and jerseys with ‘Breonna Taylor’ on the back.
The Aces specifically stating that Taylor was "murdered" is worth noting. While the 26-year-old's death was an absolute tragedy, no officers involved in her death have been charged with murder. The United States Department of Justice defines murder as "the unlawful killing of a human being with malice" which indicates "intention" to commit an unlawful act.
File - Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson holds up the championship trophy as she celebrates with teammates after their win in the WNBA basketball finals against the Connecticut Sun, Sept. 18, 2022, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
As for the Aces adding a note about the ACLU's tracking of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, it appears they first introduced that ‘key stat' in a game recap on June 4, 2023. The team announced nine days later that it had joined with a number of LGBTQ+ partners to host a Pride Night during an upcoming game that season.
The Aces appear to be the only team in the WNBA to feature notes about Taylor's death and anti-LGBTQ+ bills in their game recaps.
