The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 on Friday night to complete a four-game sweep and capture their third WNBA championship in four years, cementing their status as the league’s premier dynasty.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in Game 4, earning Finals MVP honors after averaging 28.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in the series. The sweep marked the first best-of-seven WNBA finals in the league’s history.
“You’ve got your Mount Rushmore, she’s alone on Everest,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said of Wilson. “There’s no one around.”
Las Vegas started the season slowly, sitting at .500 on August 2 after losing by 53 points. The team then rattled off a 16-game winning streak to end the regular season and secure the No. 2 playoff seed.
The Aces faced challenging series in the first round and semi-finals that went the distance before dominating the final. Their path differed significantly from their 2022 and 2023 championship runs, when they entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
“This one hits different because it was different,” said Hammon, who is now 10-2 in WNBA Finals games. “There was probably a lot more adversity than any of us expected.”
The Aces never trailed in Game 4 and led by 16 at halftime. Phoenix pulled within six points in the fourth quarter after coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected for a double technical foul, but Las Vegas held on for the road victory.
Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young each scored 18 points, while Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans combined for 22 points off the bench.
Wilson became just the third player to win multiple Finals MVP awards, joining Cynthia Cooper (four) and Breanna Stewart (two). With Wilson and Young still in their prime at ages 29 and 28, the Aces remain positioned for long-term success.
Nearly every player not on a rookie contract will be a free agent for the 2026 season, pending a new collective bargaining agreement.
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