LAS VEGAS (AP) — The WNBA fined the New York Liberty $25,000 after some of their players declined media interviews following the team's loss to the Las Vegas Aces in the clinching game of the league finals.
Liberty players Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Betnijah Laney were also fined $2,000 each by the WNBA for turning down media requests for interviews.
According to WNBA rules, each team's coach and two players must attend the postgame news conference, and additional players requested by the media must be available in a different location.
The Aces were not fined for violating league policy. Several players crashed the postgame news conference' as finals MVP A'ja Wilson answered a question. After briefly joining in on a song, Wilson asked for silence and resumed with her answer.
ACES RETURN: Las Vegas Aces return home as first back-to-back WNBA champions in two decades
Las Vegas defeated the Liberty 70-69 in Game 4 in New York to clinch its second championship. The Liberty's Courtney Vandersloot missed a shot as time expired that would have extended the series to a winner-take-all Game 5 in Las Vegas.
