Las Vegas One Win Away from 3rd WNBA Title After A'ja Wilson's Go-Ahead Jumper Lifts Aces over Mercury 90-88
WNBA Las Vegas Aces

Las Vegas One Win Away from 3rd WNBA Title After A'ja Wilson's Go-Ahead Jumper Lifts Aces over Mercury 90-88

Published on October 9, 2025 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Las Vegas Aces News Release


LAS VEGAS - Led by A'ja Wilson's game-high 34 points and 14 rebounds, the Las Vegas Aces (3-0) earned a nail-biting 90-88 road victory over the Phoenix Mercury (0-3) on Wednesday evening to take a 3-0 lead in the WNBA Finals best-of-seven series in Phoenix. The Aces are now just one win away from earning their third WNBA World Championship in Four years, with the help of Jackie Young, who tallied a near double-double with 21 points and 9 assists, Jewell Loyd, who recorded 16 points - including a 4-pointers in the first quarter - and Chelsea Gray, who chipped in 11 points and 5 assists on her 33rd birthday.

DeWanna Bonner scored 25 points and Satou Sabally added 24 to lead 4 Phoenix double-digit scorers.

Box Score | Photos | Highlights | Game Assets Folder (postgame presser will be uploaded in a few)

TEAM 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final

Aces 26 29 21 14 90

Mercury 23 20 16 29 88

First Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 26, Phoenix 23)

After Phoenix scored the first 5 points in an 8-4 opening run, the Aces sprinted out to a 17-0 run, led by a quartet of 3s by Loyd to make it 21-8. The Mercury responded with 13 unanswered points to tie it up with 1:34 to go. The Aces ended the first on a mini 5-2 run. Wilson (12 points) and Loyd (10) led the Aces in scoring, while Sabally led Phoenix with 13. The Aces netted 47.4% (9-19 FGs) and shot 55.6% (5-9 3pt FGs) from deep; the Mercury made 42.9% (9-21 FGs) and 40% (2-5 3pt FGs) from 3-point.

Second Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 55, Phoenix 43)

After Phoenix tied it at 29-29, the Aces regained the lead 31-29 after a Young jumper at the 7:35 mark and never again trailed. After Phoenix trimmed the lead to 44-41, the Aces ended the second on a 11-2 run. Both teams netted 50% of their field goal attempts - the Aces were 10 of 20, the Mercury shot 7 of 14. The Aces also shot 4 of 7 (.571) from 3-point land, while Phoenix made an icy 1 of 5 from 3. Young scored a high of 9 and Thomas scored 6 for the Mercury.

Third Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 76, Phoenix 59)

Las Vegas sustained a double-digit lead through the entire quarter, steadily increasing it to 17 by the end of the frame. Thirteen of the Aces 21 points came from the charity stripe where they netted 92.9% (13-14 FTs). Neither team connected on a 3-pointer in the quarter, shooting a combined 0 of 11. Both teams also shot under 35% in the third - Las Vegas made 30.8% (4-13 FGs) and Phoenix shot 33.3% (6-18 3FGs). Wilson led all scorers with 11, while Bonner scored 6 for the opposition.

Fourth Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 90, Phoenix 88)

The Mercury sliced the Aces deficit to single digits, 78-69, after a Sabally 3-pointer at 6:28, but Young responded the next possession with a jumper to lift the Aces back up to an 80-69 lead with 6:04 to go. Phoenix's fight did not go away, however, as it put together a 14-4 run, led by 9 unanswered points from Copper to make it 84-83 at 3:06. Young followed with a pair of free throws, but a Bonner 3-pointer tied it at 86-all with 1:41 to play. Gray put the Aces back ahead with a layup at 1:26 left and 25 seconds later Bonner sunk a pair of free throws to even the game again with 61 seconds remaining. An Aces turnover with 40.3 seconds left gave the opposition a chance to take the lead, but Thomas missed a layup, and Megan Gustafson secured a key rebound with 17.3 left. After an Aces timeout with 5.0 seconds to go, Wilson the game winner with less than a second remaining. Phoenix had one last chance at a catch-and-shoot with 0.3 seconds on the clock, but Bonner's shot was off the mark as time expired.

KEY STATS

The Aces finished shooting 42.6% (29-68 FGs) from the floor and 37.5% (9-25 3pt FGs) from deep; Phoenix connected on 43.9% (29-66 FGs) overall and 33.3% (7-21 3pt FGs) of their 3-point attempts.

The Aces hit 23 of 25 (.920) from the charity stripe, including 13 of 14 (.929) in the third quarter alone, while the Mercury were 23 of 31 (.742) overall.

The Aces outrebounded the Mercury 36-33.

Las Vegas gave up 10 points on 10 turnovers, but scored 16 off Phoenix's 12 miscues.

The Aces recorded 8 blocks compared to the Mercury's 2.

Phoenix outscored Las Vegas 40-30 points in the paint, 24-14 on second chance points and 15-13 on the fast break.

There were 4 ties overall, 2 of which came in the last 1:41 of the game.

GAME NOTES

Gray dished out 4 or more assists in each of her last 25 games (regular season and playoffs), the W's third-longest active streak.

Wilson has now scored in double figures, including 15 30-point games, in each of the past 35 games, including playoffs, which is the league's longest active streak for double-digit scoring.

Young has made each of her last 34 free throw attempts, which dates to Sept. 23. It is the longest streak for a single playoff run in league history, eclipsing the previous record of 32, recorded four times (DeWanna Bonner, 2020; Elena Delle Donne, 2014 and 2018; Diana Taurasi, 2016).

The Aces improved their postseason record to 34-20 (.623) and 9-5 (.643) in Finals games; the franchise playoff record is now 44-43 and the Finals record, which includes San Antonio's 2008 Finals appearance, improved to 9-8.

Young's 5 assists in the first quarter are the 3rd most in a quarter in WNBA playoff history; she also recorded a career-high for assists in a half with 8.

Loyd was the first player in WNBA history to record 4 3-pointers in the first quarter and the third to do so in any Finals quarter, joining Copper and Diana Taurasi.

This is the 5th time a team has ever recorded 17 assists in a half of any Finals game and the second time the Aces have done so, which they previously accomplished on Oct. 11, 2023, in Game 2.

Becky Hammon improved her playoff record to 27-9, tied with Michael Cooper for the 5th-most postseason victories of any coach in WNBA history. Her 74.3 winning percentage tops the list for those who have coached 10 or more playoff games, while her finals record of 9-2 (.818) is the highest in league history.

Loyd is now 9-0 in Finals games, having swept the 2018 and 2020 Finals while playing for Seattle.

WNBA FINALS Record Book

With 20 Finals games under her belt, Gray is tied for No. 5 with Natasha Howard for Finals games played.

Wilson has now recorded 4 consecutive Finals games with at least 20 points, moving into 4th all-time. Angel McCoughtry and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke are tied at No. 2 with 5 consecutive games and Stewart leads with 7.

Wilson now has 7 Finals games under her belt with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds, which leads the league.

Gray broke a tie with Rebekkah Brunson (29) for sole possession of No. 4 on the all-time Finals steals list and is 1 away from tying No. 3 Parker with 33.

Gray moved past Brunson (278) at No. 8 on the all-time Finals scoring list with 280 career points.

Wilson needed 13 rebounds tonight to pass Stewart (144) for No. 5 on the W's Finals rebounds list. She now has 146.

With 3 blocked shots tonight, Wilson broke a tie with Lisa Leslie (20), passed Ruth Riley (22) and is now tied with Catchings, Parker and Jonquel Jones for No. 4 in the WNBA Finals record book with 23.

Gray is the first player in WNBA Finals history to record back-to-back games with at least 3 blocked shots and 3 steals. She's the 3rd player to do so in back-to-back playoff games, joining Wilson and Leslie.

Gray passed Howard (12) for sole possession of 5th all-time Finals wins with 13.

WNBA PLAYOFFS Record Book

With 11 field goals tonight, Wilson (433) passed Candace Parker (425) for No. 3 on the league's all-time postseason field goals made list.

Wilson has now set the single-season playoff record for stocks (steals + blocks) with 50 in 11 games in 2025, passing Collier, who had 48 over 12 games in 2024.

Wilson now has 26 postseason double-doubles, which ranks No. 4 on the W's all-time list. Tamika Catchings and Parker are tied at No. 2 with 27 apiece and Alyssa Thomas leads with 30.

Wilson is now just 1 of 3 players in W history to score at least 30 points in a Finals game and now has a league-leading 5 games with a 30-point double-double in the playoffs.

Wilson set the record for most points in a single postseason, passing Napheesa Collier (285 points in 12 games in 2024) with 291 points this postseason run.

Wilson notched her 4th 30+ point game this postseason, the most of any player, breaking a tie with herself for most in a single season (2023).

With her 14 rebounds, Wilson broke a tie with Catchings and Parker for most 10+ rebound games in postseason history with her 28th.

With her game-high 34 points, Wilson broke a tie with Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi for most 30+ point games in WNBA playoff history with 9 in her career.

Gray is now tied with McCoughtry (85) for No. 6 on the all-time playoffs steals list.

With 11 made free throws tonight, Wilson (261) broke a tie with Lindsay Whalen (250) for the No. 4 spot on the league's all-time playoff free throws made list. No. 3 is Bonner (276).

Wilson now has the most multi-blocks games in playoff history (38) breaking a tie with Leslie (37).

Wilson passed Parker (117) for No. 2 in postseason blocks with a total of 120.

Gray is also now tied with Taurasi at No. 4 with 41 career postseason wins apiece.

UP NEXT: The Las Vegas Aces have a chance to win their third World Championship in four years in Game 4, which will be played in Phoenix, Friday, Oct. 10, at 5 p.m. on ESPN.

Check out the Las Vegas Aces Statistics

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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from October 9, 2025


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