Las Vegas

Aces

Gray came alive in the fourth quarter in time to give the Aces a much-needed lift on the offensive end down the stretch. In the frame, she made multiple momentum-changing three-pointers just when the home crowd seemed ready to unleash during the Mercury’s comeback attempt. She drew fouls down the stretch on both ends of the floor, as well, helping the Aces run through the tape and capture their third WNBA championship. Gray, a former Finals MVP, proved her value on both ends of the floor throughout the series and finished as one of five Aces players to score in double figures.

While Young didn’t have her most productive game as a scorer through three quarters, the veteran guard functioned as the Aces’ main facilitator for most of Friday’s contest. She constantly set up her teammates for easy baskets throughout Game 4 to help keep the Las Vegas offense running smoothly. She contributed a couple of timely baskets and several free throws down the stretch, ultimately finishing just shy of a triple-double in what was a stellar postseason for the multiple-time WNBA All-Star.

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.

Loyd came off the bench and found production rather quickly on Friday. In the first quarter, she converted her only three-point attempt before draining a couple more in the second quarter. The veteran guard repeatedly found herself open along the perimeter throughout the series and took advantage of her free space, while also making the contested ones. She competed on the offensive glass to extend several possessions for the Aces and had plenty of timely contributions throughout. All in all, Loyd capped off a productive postseason in style, finishing Game 4 as one of five Aces players to score in double figures.

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.

Loyd came out swinging to start the game as she scored 12 of her total 16 points in the first quarter alone. The Mercury defense were incredibly slow closing out on her catches and Loyd took advantage each time. Loyd played well off the ball and was able to move Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb around and exploit the fact that Whitcomb is nursing a knee injury that she sustained during Finals Game 1. Loyd became the first player in WNBA Finals history to make four three-pointers in the first quarter. She joined Kahleah Copper and Diana Taurasi as the only three players in league history to hit four three-pointers in any Finals quarter. While Loyd’s scoring opportunities waned as the game went on, she still played hard and hauled down seven total rebounds, tied for the second most on her team.

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 former Finals MVP put her playmaking skills on display for a second straight game against Phoenix, reaching double figures in assists and finishing with a game-high in that department. Unlike in Game 1, however, Gray found her touch as a shooter on Sunday — she shot efficiently and scored in double digits following a 2-of-7 showing from the field in her opening game. Her defensive performance was equally impressive, utilizing timing and quick hands to repeatedly poke the ball away from Mercury ballhandlers and scorers. As a result, Gray recorded a double-double, combined for six stocks, and put together a stellar two-way performance to help the Aces take a 2-0 series lead.

Young made history on Sunday as she recorded the highest-scoring individual quarter of any player in WNBA playoff history. The record-setting third-quarter had the All-Star guard tallying 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting to push the Aces’ lead from nine points at halftime to 15 points going into the fourth quarter. She managed two more points in the final frame to finish with a game-high, helping lead the Aces to a 2-0 series lead in the WNBA Finals.