PHOENIX — As the Las Vegas Aces went through their lowest stretches of the season and the team fell below .500, Aces president Nikki Fargas said she always believed greatness was still possible.
“When you have A’ja Wilson…” Fargas said as his voice trailed off.
Thanks to Wilson, anything is possible. That was evident in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night, as the Aces once again proved their dominance by taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven title series with a 90-88 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.
The Mercury erased a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit behind a flurry of buckets from Kahleah Copper and veteran shooting guard DeWanna Bonner. Las Vegas moved away from Wilson, not pressing the defense when the Mercury denied Wilson on the initial play.
But on their final possession, the Aces turned to Wilson, and she delivered what will surely remain one of the defining moments of her career. Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon called a timeout with five seconds left and Jackie Young fought back — wanting to make sure the Aces got the last shot of the game — and Hammon put the ball in his MVP’s hands. Wilson rolled left from the elbow, turned and lifted a short jumper over the outstretched arms of Alyssa Thomas. The ball lingered at the rim and then fell, giving Las Vegas a two-point lead with less than a second to play.
I’ll never get over that A’ja Wilson shot to win Game 3 🔥
Wilson finished with 34 PTS (a career high in the finals), 14 REB, 4 AST and 3 BLKS!#WelcometoW | WNBA Finals | @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/xnCPsVhVtB
–WNBA (@WNBA) October 9, 2025
Wilson set an Aces franchise Finals record with 34 points, breaking a tie with Young on the final basket. Wilson, a four-time MVP, is one win away from his third title in four seasons.
Wilson set a new WNBA record for playoff points and also recorded her ninth playoff game of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the only player to do so consecutively. She also passed Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi for the most games with 30+ points in a playoff (nine) and Lisa Leslie (37) for the most multi-block playoff games.
A historic evening ending with a historic moment.
There wasn’t even a play call. Just give Wilson the ball and let her do her thing.
“These are the moments you live for, so I’m glad I was able to show up,” Wilson said.
Wilson is building a collection of these plays over his eight-year career, but this one recalls another turnaround jumper from the left side of the court that gave Las Vegas a short-handed six lead against the New York Liberty in Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals. It wasn’t a true game-winner like his basket against Phoenix, but it provided the winning margin in a deciding game in Finals that resulted in back-to-back titles (and Wilson’s only MVP trophy in the Finals).
“The one where Coach (Dawn) Staley was swearing at? » Wilson asked when asked what the 2023 shot was. “This one has to be above that one, just because we got the double. That’s the one that kind of sealed Game 3 for us.”
The one shot may have sealed the game, but as was the case throughout the series and throughout his MVP season, Wilson carried his team. The Mercury entered Game 3 with a new plan to try to combat Wilson, moving Thomas to guard Chelsea Gray and sticking with Natasha Mack on Wilson. It lasted seven minutes before Phoenix passed to Bonner, Kathryn Westbeld or more Thomas.
Wilson opened the scoring for Las Vegas with an elbow jumper, hitting two more in the opening frame to build a 15-8 lead as Mack was less comfortable venturing to the perimeter. Every time the Mercury threatened to come back into the game, it was Wilson who reigned over the Aces. Tied at 21-21, Wilson circled the post to foul and put Las Vegas back in front. When Phoenix cut its advantage from eight points to three in the second quarter, Hammon called a timeout and passed the ball to Wilson on the next possession. Bucket.
And after a stretch of four minutes and 40 seconds without scoring a basket in the fourth quarter, it was Wilson the Aces called on to lead them home.
Wilson does just about everything for Las Vegas on the court. She had three blocks and 14 rebounds, protecting the paint defensively. She set up giant screens to throw Young at half court, helping him reach 21 points. On the rare occasions when Wilson faced a double, she moved the ball quickly and made the correct read, even if it didn’t always result in a score.
So it was no surprise that Phoenix had a successful run when the Aces didn’t work hard enough to get the ball to Wilson, when she couldn’t even make a touch, let alone finish the play. That’s why Hammon’s message during the final timeout was, “Give the ball to A’ja.” »
It mattered even more to Wilson because she swung the ball on the previous possession, giving Phoenix a chance to take the lead and potentially change the tenor of the series. Instead, she was able to atone for her mistake in a memorable way.
“I just had to get that one back, because it would have crushed my whole soul,” Wilson said. “But when I saw the play was for me, I thought, Becky trusts me, so I have to make something happen.”
In a hostile environment, after blowing a big lead and feeling the echoes of a similar comeback by the Seattle Storm in the first round and the Indiana Fever in the second, this isn’t just a moment for stars: it’s for legends. Wilson’s teammates all seemed to know during this timeout that they would win, and the entire organization had confidence that she would deliver on her promises.
That’s what she does. That’s what she did.
