PHOENIX— Las Vegas Aces ahead A’ja Wilson is a four-time WNBA Most Worthwhile Participant for an excellent purpose.
Wilson made a game-winning bucket after being double-teamed by DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas with 0.3 seconds remaining, placing the Aces on the point of successful their third title within the final 4 years.
“Get the ball to A’ja, and get out of the way in which,” Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon mentioned postgame.
In response to ESPN Analysis, Wilson’s clutch basket with 0.3 seconds is the fourth-latest game-winning subject objective in WNBA Finals historical past.
Her résumé since becoming a member of the Aces as the primary general choose within the 2018 WNBA Draft out of South Carolina has been spectacular. Now, with Wilson only one win away from one other WNBA Title, she’s making a powerful case as one of many all-time greats in league historical past.
“I simply wanted the bucket to go in; I didn’t see who was in entrance of me. I didn’t care. It’s the finals,” mentioned Wilson.
Oh my god #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/lDD3ui7Li4
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) October 9, 2025
A’ja Wilson Makes Historical past
Wilson recorded a double-double of 34 factors— her career-high within the WNBA Finals— and 14 rebounds, as Las Vegas received Sport 3 of the Finals for the primary time in franchise historical past after going 0-2 of their earlier appearances.
She additionally grew to become the primary participant in WNBA Finals historical past to put up consecutive video games of 25 or extra factors and ten or extra rebounds.
“I really feel like in that second, if a coach has to inform me what to do, then I’m not doing my job,” Wilson mentioned. She (Becky Hammon) simply drew me up a play, it wasn’t even a play, just about simply what you noticed. I’m appreciative that Becky trusts me in these moments. That’s playoff basketball, these are the moments you reside for. So, I’m glad I used to be capable of present up. I get on my guards for not coming to work, so I used to be glad I used to be capable of come to work.”
A’ja Wilson for the win!
34 PTS (Finals career-high)11/20 FG 14 REB4 AST3 BLKS
She additionally broke the file for many factors in a single postseason pic.twitter.com/J4er5d0ok9 https://t.co/qB4NUhPKMm
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 9, 2025
Jewell Loyd Units the Aces’ Tone within the First Quarter
As soon as Aces guard Jewell Loyd checked in throughout the first quarter, she went 4-for-5 from 3-point vary, offering Las Vegas with a lift from the bench. Loyd joined Kahleah Copper and Diana Taurasi as the one gamers in WNBA Finals historical past to make 4 three-pointers within the opening quarter.
All through the collection, Loyd and Dana Evans have been difference-makers for the Aces’ bench on each ends of the court docket.
In terms of the WNBA Finals, Loyd is 9-0 in video games performed and has received two championships with the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020, each through collection sweeps.
When a reporter requested her about what she noticed from Wilson’s game-winner, she mentioned, “Truthfully, I went proper again on protection simply to ensure once they (Phoenix) threw the ball in.”
“However as soon as they referred to as a timeout, it was simply discovering your teammates. Have fun the second; it’s a tricky shot. I believe the final play— I used to be nonetheless there making an attempt to get a rebound simply in case—I received a fairly good angle of the shot, however quite a lot of it was simply subsequent play.”
Phoenix Struggles After Sabally Leaves Sport with Concussion
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Mercury trailed the Aces by 17 factors, and their defensive woes in opposition to Las Vegas continued.
Though Phoenix misplaced by three factors in Sport 1 and two factors in Sport 3 in opposition to Las Vegas, ahead Alyssa Thomas—who was near recording a triple-double—believes they need to have had a greater begin within the recreation.
“It’s how we needs to be taking part in from the beginning,” Thomas mentioned. “It took us too lengthy to get up and play protection. I believe the second half is our basketball and the way we play. Disgrace on us for not popping out the way in which we wanted to return out.”
Ahead Satou Sabally completed the sport with 24 factors, 5 rebounds, and three assists earlier than colliding laborious with Kierstan Bell’s knee and leaving the sport with over 5 minutes remaining.
After Sabally left the sport because of harm, the Mercury rallied behind Kahleah Copper, who scored 11 fourth-quarter factors.
Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts instructed reporters postgame that he doesn’t have an replace on her standing.
In response to the workforce, Sabally has been identified with a concussion and can miss Sport 4 of the WNBA Finals, which is an enormous blow on each ends of the court docket.
Alternatively, Tibbetts was happy with the Mercury getting back from a 17-point deficit to tie the sport within the closing quarter.
“We’re not into ethical victories,” Tibbetts mentioned. “It is a recreation that we needed to get, wanted to get. However for us to compete the way in which that we did simply exhibits the character of our workforce – it’s the way in which we fought all yr. We received down 17 at one level, and we had a key participant go down within the fourth. We simply saved preventing and put ourselves ready to win in opposition to a extremely good workforce. I’m happy with our group for not giving in, and that’s what we anticipate on Friday. We’re going to maintain preventing. That’s what this group is about.”
Jewell Loyd placed on a taking pictures clinic within the @LVAces Sport 3 win over the Phoenix Mercury, 90-88 👌
16 PTS (12 within the 1Q) | 4 3PM | 7 REB
Her 4 threes within the first quarter are the MOST in 1 / 4 in Finals historical past!
Jewell Loyd is now 9-0 within the WNBA Finals.#WelcometotheW |… pic.twitter.com/kiR3ioXI47
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 9, 2025
WNBA Finals: Mercury on the Brink of Elimination
Because the Mercury face elimination heading into Sport 4 of the WNBA Finals, Tibbetts continues to reward his workforce for his or her willpower and grit in opposition to Las Vegas all through each the common season and Finals.
“You look inside your self and proceed to compete,” Tibbetts mentioned. “We’ve performed them in two shut video games with 25 seconds, 40 seconds to go; it’s been a one-point recreation in two of the video games. Clearly, these are video games you’re in place to win. In addition to recreation two, I believe we’ve performed them fairly strong, however clearly we needed to come again tonight.”
Ahead DeWanna Bonner completed the sport with a double-double of 25 factors and 10 rebounds for the Mercury. Each Bonner and Copper by no means gave their all for Phoenix till the ultimate buzzer.
Furthermore, Bonner grew to become the oldest participant to file a double-double in postseason historical past, surpassing Tammy Jackson in 1999, and the fourth participant in postseason historical past to attain 25 or extra factors off the bench.
“It’s the Finals – there’s no put on and tear,” Bonner mentioned. “You simply should maintain preventing. We aren’t simply going to surrender. It’s laborious to get right here, so we’re going to proceed to struggle till the very finish. I really feel like that’s what we’ve been doing all playoffs, preventing our means again into it. Simply happy with the trouble we did put in, however like Alyssa (Thomas) mentioned, we are able to’t begin that means, particularly in opposition to them.”
Though the Mercury confronted challenges from the common season by the postseason, Tibbetts expressed his delight within the workforce for staying collectively, even with a brand new group of gamers for the primary time.
“However we’re dealing with a workforce that’s been by this collectively – it’s not a workforce that’s figuring it out. They’re a well-oiled machine in all these conditions that they’ve been in collectively. They’ve received collectively, they’ve misplaced collectively. As laborious as it’s, that stuff issues. I used to be tremendous happy with how we simply saved preventing, and this crowd was unbelievable as soon as once more. Simply gave us the vitality to place us in place proper to the tip.”
The Mercury will host the Aces for Sport 4 of the WNBA Finals on Friday, October 10, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
