How WNBA Finals opponents Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty built rosters worthy of 'superteam' billing

"It's the battle of the superteams."

During the 2023 WNBA regular season, Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson took on a playful tone when addressing the narratives surrounding her star-studded team going against the new-look New York Liberty. While it felt inevitable that the two teams would meet in the Finals, the arrival of the actual series is a gift for basketball fans across the globe.

Whether or not you're a fan of the "superteam" verbiage, it's impossible to deny the amount of talent present in this year's WNBA Finals. Between the two teams is a combined six No. 1 overall picks, six 2023 All-Stars as well as this season's MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year.

From Vegas' talented core of Wilson, Alysha Clark, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young to New York's nucleus of Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney, Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot, there is no shortage of players that can impact the game with their talents. The bevy of talent begs the question: how were these talented rosters assembled?

The Sporting News takes a look back at how the Aces and Liberty built two of the most talented teams the league has ever seen.

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How the Las Vegas Aces were built

Las Vegas is far from an overnight success — three of its star players were taken first overall in consecutive drafts, a result of a series of tough years. After posting a 29-73 record between 2016 and 2018, the franchise used its draft lottery wins to select Plum (2017), Wilson (2018) and Young (2019).

From there, the team's fortunes began to change.

In 2019, Vegas snapped a five-year postseason drought. One year later, the team was in the Finals. With a few more free agency additions along the way and the hiring of head coach Becky Hammon in December 2021, the Aces were able to capture that elusive WNBA title in 2022.

How the New York Liberty were built

The Liberty's foundation was laid a few years ago, but they took a turn into "superteam" territory in the last 12 months, undergoing a transformational offseason following the 2022 season.

New York's homegrown talent is headlined by Ionescu, who was selected first overall in 2020 after the team won the 2020 draft lottery.

The latest wave of newcomers began in January when the Liberty acquired 2021 league MVP Jonquel Jones from the Sun. One month later, New York signed Stewart and Vandersloot to round out one of the game's most accomplished starting units.

*New York acquired Willoughby via trade with the Phoenix Mercury on draft night. She's spent the entirety of her career with the Liberty.

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WNBA Finals schedule 2023

The Aces earned the No. 1 overall seed in the WNBA Playoffs after finishing with a 34-6 record during the regular season. They will have home-court advantage against the Liberty and host Games 1, 2 and 5 (if necessary) at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Games 3 and 4 (if necessary) will be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

*If necessary