A'ja

Wilson

Wilson followed up a big Game 3 with an impressive Game 4 performance. Despite struggling with shooting efficiency, the four-time MVP reached 30 points for the second straight game, taking advantage of the Mercury’s aggressive defense to repeatedly make her way to the free-throw line. In the biggest moments of the contest, as Phoenix trimmed the deficit down to as few as six points, Wilson delivered a couple of timely scores down the stretch to help the Aces keep their distance. Wilson ultimately earned her second Finals MVP award and became the first WNBA or NBA player to ever win the scoring title, regular-season MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year all in the same season.

While Gray wasn’t super efficient scoring the basketball, she still contributed in meaningful ways. She once again used her high basketball instincts and dexterity to frustrate Alyssa Thomas and interrupt her handles. Gray also made sure to facilitate, making sure that the Aces’ two best scorers in A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young received the ball in spots where they could create offense. Gray’s poise and experience came into play late on Wednesday night when the Aces were in danger of losing the game after having a 17-point lead. With 1:26 left in regulation and the game tied, Gray came off a Wilson screen and drove into the paint with Monique Akoa Makani following her. She used her strength to haul the ball up and over and into the basket to get the and-one call.

While Young didn’t score a ton in the first quarter, she poured it on in the second scoring nine of her 21 total points in the second quarter alone. Young was one step ahead of Monique Akoa Makani and found a way to take advantage of the smallest bits of space coming off of ball screens to be able to make her shots. After a slow third quarter scoring, Young came alive in the fourth and scored 6 of the Aces’ total 14 fourth quarter points. Also, Wednesday night was another evening that put Young’s playmaking on notice as she led the Aces with nine total assists. She found four different teammates including NaLyssa Smith, Jewell Loyd, Dana Evans and A’ja Wilson. Four of Wilson’s 11 field goals came on passes from Young as the combo guard has perfected not only her pick-and-roll chemistry with Wilson but her timing with Wilson. Young can easily get the ball to Wilson right in the spots she likes the most on the floor.

Wilson put on an MVP-caliber of a performance on Wednesday night. Not only did she make 55 percent of her 20 shots, but she led her team in rebounding and was responsible for almost 40 percent of her team’s total rebounds. What has stood out about Wilson’s game throughout the 2025 finals hasn’t been her scoring and rebounding as those have been constants in other Finals she’s competed in. Wilson’s playmaking and decision-making skills have taken a jump during the 2025 postseason. On Wednesday she made sure to find Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray when they both had better looks than she did. But of course it was Wilson who had the last laugh and the game’s final score. After the Mercury came back to tie the game after being down as many as 17 points, Wilson made a tough turnaround jumper over the outstretched arms of Alyssa Thomas with five seconds left in regulation to win the Aces the game and go up 3-0 in the series.

The four-time MVP didn’t need a three-pointer or much help from the free-throw line to crack the 20-point mark for the eighth time this postseason, as she dazzled in the midrange and repeatedly got to the rim against the Mercury’s defense. In addition to her efficient scoring, Wilson’s work on the glass also led to a second consecutive double-double to begin the series. She’ll have a chance to extend her streak to three games when the Aces try to take a 3-0 series lead over the Mercury in Wednesday’s Game 3.

Wilson started her fourth WNBA Finals appearance with a productive two-way performance. She shot well inside the arc and utilized the free-throw line to finish as one of two Aces players with at least 20 points on the evening, while her rebounding led all Las Vegas players. The four-time MVP didn’t dominate throughout the contest, but she showed poise on the offensive end and allowed her hot-handed teammates to operate effectively, as she contributed to their success by tying a 2025 postseason high in assists. Wilson made her usual impact on the defensive end and ultimately concluded with a strong overall performance to give the Aces a 1-0 series lead.

Wilson began the game not her most efficient. She went into halftime shooting 5-of-13 from the field and only scoring 14 points off those 13 shots. But a switch flipped for Wilson after halftime where she scored 13 points in the third quarter and then six more in the fourth while shooting 8-of-12 from the floor in the final quarters of the game prior to overtime. When Wilson’s shot wasn’t falling she notably made sure to find teammates for better looks. She looked for an open Megan Gustafson on both a kick out three-pointer and a high-low action. Her other three assists were to Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. Speaking of Young, she and Wilson made history becoming the first pair of teammates in WNBA history to score at least 30 points during the same postseason game.

Young scored at all three levels on Tuesday night in addition to finding four different teammates for her 10 assists. Two of those assists were to Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd during the the five minute overtime period. Young found both Gray and Loyd within less than a minute of each other in the same spot near the right corner pocket. On a heavy shot diet, 20 shots to be exact, Young was still efficient hitting 50% of all of her looks. Young and her teammate A’ja Wilson made history becoming the first pair of teammates in league history with at least 30 points scored in the same postseason game.

Having struggled mightily in Friday’s Game 3 victory, missing 11 consecutive shots at one point, Wilson dominated on Sunday. The four-time WNBA Most Valuable Player was at her best on both ends of the floor in Game 4, but it wasn’t enough to end the series. Sunday was Wilson’s second 30-point outing of the postseason, the first being the series-decider against Seattle in the first round. Defensively, Wilson has recorded at least five combined steals and blocked shots in five of seven games this postseason. It’s a safe bet that Wilson will have another standout performance in Game 5 on Tuesday, but she’s going to need help from teammates not named Jackie Young or Chelsea Gray to get the Aces to the WNBA Finals.

Wilson followed up an efficient 25-point performance in Game 2 with a much less efficient shooting performance in Friday’s victory. The four-time MVP opened the game with a made three-pointer before missing her next 11 shots. Back-to-back baskets to end the third quarter got her back on track before a 3-of-6 shooting fourth quarter allowed her to finish in double figures as a scorer. Wilson collected several blocked shots and made an impact on the defensive end. Still, she’ll look to have a stronger offensive performance in Sunday’s Game 4.