Parents entered toddler in WNBA halftime ‘crawl’ race — she took her first steps in front of 10,488 fans instead

The Las Vegas Aces may have lost to the Minnesota Lynx by 53 points on Saturday, but the biggest win of the night belonged to a baby who turned a halftime crawling race into her first-ever walk. Ten babies lined up on one side of the court for the Aces' halftime entertainment, with parents coaxing them toward the finish line on the other end. One little girl shot ahead early, crawling swiftly toward half-court. But halfway there, she stopped, got to her knees, and then to her feet, and started walking. The WNBA shared the clip on their Instagram page @wnba the next day, and it immediately garnered 821,000 views and almost 60,000 likes.

In a moment that drew cheers from the crowd, she took her first steps ever right there on the hardwood, making her way straight into her mother's arms at the finish line. Her dad joined them on the court to tote the tiny champion and her trophy, grinning as the crowd erupted. A total of 10,488 fans watched her take her first steps, reported ESPN. "She'd been standing, but she hadn't been walking. She just randomly decided to stand up in the middle of the court. Oh my gosh. Was not expecting that," he said in the postgame interview, as reported by PEOPLE.

The fact that no one saw the milestone coming made it even more unforgettable. According to a 2025 survey by Talker Research of 2,000 parents, 66% said their baby’s first steps were the milestone they anticipated most, and yet 78% said the emotional impact still caught them completely off guard. The video gained a whole lot of views and shares across social media platforms, racking up 114,000 upvotes on Reddit after being posted by u/AtomicCypher, and viewers couldn't get enough of the moment that captured the cutest milestone ever achieved.

u/theworldisonfire8377 joked, "'Man this is a long way, my knees hurt. I wonder if I just… hey this is better!'" u/Overnoww wrote, "I like how genuine their happiness/excitement seems. Their kid is guaranteed to lose but they can still recognize how cool, special, and exciting that moment is." u/synodos shared, "I love everybody in the crowd recognizing what a big deal this is, and the other ('competitor') moms cheering for her too." u/SandalsResort added, "Imagine having a professional cameraman for your baby's first steps so you don't have to get your phone ready. Mom must be over the moon." u/2xpubliccompanyCAE suggested, "A baby race should be obligatory at every sporting event and company off-site meeting."

Some shared similar stories of their babies taking the first-ever steps. u/DueOpportunity7112 recalled, "That's awesome. I can remember my son started walking the exact same way. Would take a few steps, almost fall forward, but catch himself with his hand. Stand back up, regain composure, and repeat. It was one of the best feelings. The mom had her daughters recorded on TV. Now that's priceless." u/weirdoeggplant shared, "I’m sobbing too. My son just had his first steps a few months ago, and it truly is one of the best feelings ever (and scariest, cause now they can get away from you lol)."

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