Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson manifested a historic performance in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, leading her team to a 90-88 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday.
Wilson finished with 34 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks, shooting 11-of-20 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. Her performance included the game-winning jumper with 0.3 seconds left, a shot that ended a clutch fourth-quarter effort and sealed Las Vegas’ 3-0 series lead. The jumper, scored over Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas, came after Wilson was double-teamed on an in-bound pass.
With her 34-point outing, Wilson set the WNBA Finals record for most points in a single postseason game and notched her ninth career 30-point playoff performance, the most in league history. She also became the first player in Finals history to post consecutive games with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds, according to ESPN's Alexa Philippou. It was also her seventh career Finals game with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds, another WNBA record. She also achieved a plethora of other milestones. Entering Game 3, Wilson was averaging a career-best 25.7 points per game in the postseason.
The Aces jumped out to a 21-8 lead in the first quarter, but Phoenix responded with a 13-0 run to tie the game. Las Vegas regained control late in the second quarter with an 11-2 run, entering halftime ahead 55-43. Despite trailing by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter, the Mercury tied the game multiple times behind a late flurry from Kahleah Copper and veteran scorer DeWanna Bonner, who poured in her season high of 25 points off the bench. Satou Sabally added 24 points but left the game with a potential concussion.
Jackie Young contributed 21 points and nine assists without committing a turnover, while Jewell Loyd added 16 points off the bench. The Aces shot 23-of-25 from the free-throw line and 37.5% from three, compared to Phoenix’s 33.3% on triples and eight missed free throws, major factors in the close win.
The Aces are just one win away from completing their latest WNBA dynasty. Should the Aces close out Game 4 in Phoenix on Friday night, they would win their third championship in the last four seasons.
