Basketball, Aussie Cayla George and Las Vegas Aces win the championship

Basketball, Aussie Cayla George and Las Vegas Aces win the championship،

Australian Opals star Cayla George scored 11 points as she joined an elite club as a WNBA champion after the Las Vegas Aces became the first team in two decades to win back-to-back titles.

George, who joined the Aces ahead of this season, became the 11th Australian to win a WNBA title, a list that includes the legendary Lauren Jackson as well as Penny Taylor, Erin Phillips and current Opals teammate Ezi Magbegor.

In a thrilling fourth game of the championship series, the Aces held on 70-69 against the New York Liberty, coached by Opals mentor Sandy Brondello, to seal a 3-1 series victory and a second straight championship .

Cayla George (left) is a WNBA title winner. Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFPSource: AFP

This season was George’s fourth in the WNBA and she made her first playoff start in Game 4 of the series, played in New York, after injuries to starting point guard Chelsea Gray and starting center Kiah Stokes.

“This group was built out of adversity,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said after the victory.

“They were not built based on the expectations of a super-team. They sucked for a long time… They deserved this moment, they deserved this opportunity, and now it’s our turn to go and take it.

The Aces became the first team in 21 seasons to win back-to-back championships.

George entered the WNBA after being named WNBL MVP in Australia last season.