PHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces are in position to make short work of the WNBA’s expanded playoff schedule.
A’ja Wilson’s turnaround jumper with three-tenths of a second remaining on the game clock lifted the second-seeded Aces over the fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury for a thrilling 90-88 win Wednesday night. It also gave Las Vegas a 3-0 lead in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in the history of the league, which dates to 1997.
In the previous best-of-five format, the Aces would already be celebrating their third championship in four seasons.
In 2025, there’s more work to do. Game 4 is Friday night in Phoenix.
“We don’t look at it too big,” said Wilson, whose WNBA MVP honor this year was the fourth of her eight-year career. “We just win one game, win one possession, win one quarter, and then everything will pan out.”
The Aces rode a 16-game winning streak at the end of the regular season to post a 30-14 record and finish behind only the Minnesota Lynx in the final standings, but they looked surprisingly vulnerable early in the postseason. They dropped a game to the seventh-seeded Seattle Storm in a best-of-three series in the first round, then needed the full five games to squeeze past the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever in the semifinals, prevailing in overtime for a 107-98 win in the decisive contest.
In the title round, the Aces have looked nearly unstoppable.
Wilson continued to add to her legacy Wednesday night with a 34-point, 14-rebound performance that helped the Aces navigate a hostile road environment and shake off a late rally by the Mercury.
Wilson has already set a WNBA record with 291 postseason points through 11 games and has averaged 26.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. The 29-year-old is still at the peak of her basketball powers, using her 6-foot-4 frame and soft touch around the basket to score in bunches.
“I always have to credit my teammates, because they give me the basketball in the right space at the right time,” Wilson said. “Like Jewell (Loyd) said, ‘The ball has energy.’ Players understand, there’s something different where you get a pass and it’s like, ‘This is a pass to score the basketball.'”
Wilson’s presence was more important than ever in the closing moments of Game 3.
The Aces had coughed up a 76-59 lead entering the fourth quarter and the game was tied at 88 with five seconds left. Las Vegas had the ball and the daunting task of trying to close the game against a desperate opponent that had a raucous home crowd on its side.
Aces fourth-year head coach Becky Hammon didn’t need to consult her playbook for the right call.
Just throw it to A’ja. Boom. Game over.
“These are the moments that you dream of, the times you see on TV, you’re watching and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, to be in that building,'” Wilson said.
The Mercury will try to shake off the tough loss and force Game 5, which would send the series back to Las Vegas for a Sunday meeting. Friday in Phoenix, the Mercury will be without star forward Satou Sabally, the team’s leading scorer this year in both the regular season (16.3 points per game) and the playoffs (19.0), after she sustained a concussion late in Wednesday’s game after tallying 24 points.
DeWanna Bonner led the Mercury with 25 points in Game 3, while Alyssa Thomas was one assist short of a triple double, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
“This group has been a group that continues to compete at a high level,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. “We’re going to expect that in front of our fans. We’ve got a certain level of pride.”
Next steps for Reese
NEW YORK — Angel Reese is getting a pair of wings.
The Chicago Sky star announced via Instagram that she will be walking in the “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” next week. It will be the first time a professional athlete will walk the runway in the show.
“Stepping into a dream: From Angel to a Victoria Secret ANGEL,” the 23-year-old Reese posted on Instagram. “I’m finally getting my wings I’ll be walking the Victoria’s Secret 2025 runway show for the first time, and it feels like destiny. Wings on, heels ready…Catch me on the runway.”
The retailer posted a video on Instagram of the announcement showing the WNBA player in a pink robe, black lingerie and white feather wings.
“Angel Reese, welcome to the runway. The first professional athlete angel…major is an understatement,” the post reads.
The lingerie show began in 2001 and took place annually for nearly two decades. Victoria’s Secret canceled the show in 2019 but brought it back last year, with Reese attending.
This year’s show is set for 7 p.m. next Wednesday and will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video as well as via Victoria Secret’s official accounts on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Reese, a 6-3 power forward, is a two-time WNBA All-Star and two-time league leader in rebounds after being selected by the Sky with the No. 7 pick of the 2024 draft. She was a three-time AP All-American during a collegiate career that began with two seasons at Maryland in her home state before finishing up at LSU, where she helped the Tigers win the 2023 NCAA Division I tournament title as a junior.