Las Vegas Aces claim WNBA championship with sweep of Phoenix Mercury

PHOENIX — A’ja Wilson had one last dash in her.

The buzzer had sounded on her third WNBA championship in four years, and Wilson, the sport’s most dominant force, had no shots left to take but people she needed to see. She had already shared four euphoric leaps with pick-and-roll partner Chelsea Gray. Now it was time for Wilson to greet the rest of her teammates. Those who she had poured into during the Aces’ arduous ascent back to the top of the WNBA. Those who had poured back into her.

So there Wilson went toward the overflowing Aces’ bench. Toward those she sometimes refers to as family. “I would never be who I am without my teammates,” Wilson said.

That is undoubtedly true. But they wouldn’t be where they were on Friday night, defeating the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals to sweep the Phoenix Mercury without Wilson. The league’s first four-time MVP became a two-time finals MVP, etching another chapter in her case for the WNBA’s GOAT.

“You have your Mount Rushmore, she’s alone on Everest,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “There’s no one around.”

It would be hard to disagree with Hammon after another standout showing from the Aces’ forward. Wilson finished with 31 points and nine rebounds, and averaged a double-double throughout the finals. Wilson is a singular force. A star who front-faces not only her team, but the league as well. Wearing her signature Nike A’One sneaker, Wilson added to her crown with her deft spin moves, mid-range jumper and unmatched defensive acumen.

“She’s a generational talent,” Aces president Nikki Fargas said.

If there was any debate before, there should be little now: The Aces are the WNBA’s preeminent dynasty. They are only the third franchise in league history to win three titles over four years. In an era of rapid turnover, their core has remained relatively consistent: Hammon has patrolled the sideline and has the highest win percentage in finals history. Guards Jackie Young and Gray are vital parts, too, adding 18 points apiece in Game 4.

Nearly an hour after their victory was official, the trio and their coach sat next to each other, reflecting on their journey. Wilson held up a “2025 WNBA Champions” towel as Hammon teared up, trying not to get emotional herself.

“I’m invested in their greatness and getting that out of them every day,” Hammon said. “This one hits different because it was different. There was probably a lot more adversity than any of us anticipated.”
The Aces’ past title runs were relatively smooth, but their path to this championship was far from guaranteed. They entered the All-Star break at .500, the first time they were without a winning record at that point since Wilson’s rookie season in 2018.

“To be here right now, and where we were in May and June,” Gray said. “We had confidence in each other. I’m just really proud of how we just stayed the course.”

For two months, Las Vegas’ defense was subpar, and its reworked roster that featured six newcomers on opening night struggled to click. A historic 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 2 — the second-biggest defeat in WNBA history — was a low point. But it sparked necessary reflection. In the immediate aftermath, Hammon knew she had few positives to tell her team. “And my mom told me,” Hammon said, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.”

But here Hammon was in Phoenix, glowing. She couldn’t say enough warm words of those she was around.

Wilson set the tone on Friday, much like she has throughout the season and the playoffs. She scored 12 first-quarter points and helped Las Vegas jump to a nine-point lead. The Aces extended their lead to 16 at halftime as the Mercury shuffled through lineup combinations, dealing with the absence of All-Star forward Satou Sabally, who suffered a concussion late in Game 3. Although the Mercury briefly found life toward the end of the third quarter following the ejection of coach Nate Tibbetts, Wilson and Co. silenced Phoenix’s rally.

After the win, Wilson walked around the bowels of Mortgage Matchup Center, rattling a pink tambourine that an Aces trainer gave her. “This is the symbol of the joyfulness we have right now,” she said. “Good things happen to the right people. And that’s what you see in this locker room today.”

When Gray and Young praised her, Wilson rattled the instrument louder.

“She was the positive person (during our struggles),” reserve guard Dana Evans said. “She was the one sending texts, saying, ‘Hey, y’all, we good. Keep your heads up. Don’t get down on yourself.’ She’s just always been that positive.”

“A’ja Wilson, once finished playing, will be the GOAT,” Fargas said. “There’s not gonna be anything left for her to do. I just don’t want us to get tired of seeing and watching her greatness.”

After their historic loss to the Lynx, the Aces lost only three more times. On Friday, Las Vegas finished its 2025 climb with a trophy in hand, basking in the view from the top of the WNBA.

Their victory left Aces owner Mark Davis with one final question. “Can we do it again?” he asked the Aces amid their celebration.

With Wilson, anything is possible.




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