MGM Hopes Arena Upgrades Help Boost First-Year WNBA Aces

MGM Grand Garden Arena will have a "capacity in the 7,000-7,500 range" for WNBA Las Vegas Aces games this season after an upgrade of $8-10M at the facility, with a team exec saying that the new setup will provide a more "intense atmosphere" for the players, according to Alan Snel of LVSPORTSBIZ.com. Aces COO Lance Evans said that 75-125 fans can "fit in the VIP lounge behind the backboard," which is sponsored as the Pepsi Hightop Lounge.MGM Resorts, which owns the team, also "hired a band called East Side Riot to play live music an hour before the game and during halftime" to give games more of a "Vegas feel." Local radio personality Chet Buchanan will "man the arena public announcer job" and a dance squad called the Wild Card Crew will "entertain fans." Buchanan: "It’s another round in sports history. We’re building this from the ground up. It’s all about fun and entertainment and creating an atmosphere that is fun and accessible" (LVSPORTSBIZ.com, 5/6).