Wilson’s game-winner moves Aces one win closer to 3rd championship in franchise history

Las Vegas forward A'ja Wilson takes the game-winning jumper over Phoenix forwards Alyssa Thomas (#25) and DeWanna Bonner (#14). Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

A buzzer-beater over two defenders in the closing seconds of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals by four-time MVP A’ja Wilson gave the Las Vegas Aces a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Wilson’s dagger helped lift her Las Vegas team over Phoenix, 90-88, Wednesday night from the Mortgage Matchup Center. Over the last 10 games, the Mercury are 7-3 with all losses coming to the Aces.

“Get the ball to A’ja and get out of the way,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “That’s all the play was.”

With a chance at a sweep on the horizon, Las Vegas now has six wins against Phoenix in seven meetings this season. Additionally, the team has won four straight games, six of its last seven and eight of 11 during this playoff run.

Game 4 will take place from the Mortgage Matchup Center Friday, Oct. 10 with tip-off set for 5 p.m. A win would secure a third championship for the Aces’ in the last four seasons.

“Under Becky Hammon we’ve never won a Game 3,” Wilson said. “This was a must-win for us just for that sake. My biggest mentality and the things I relay to my teammates is, ‘We just need to win one.’”

Aces forward A'ja Wilson reacts after a made basket during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals inside Mortgage Matchup Center. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

Wilson’s game-winning field goal was drained over the extended arms of Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas. The ball went through the net with just 0.9 left on the game clock for the home team.

“I feel like in that moment if a coach has to tell me what to do, I’m not doing my job,” Wilson said. “[Hammon] just drew up a play – it actually wasn’t even a play. It was pretty much what you saw.”

At game’s end, Wilson posted a game-high 34 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds while having a double-double secured early in the third quarter. She also added four assists and three blocks.

The 34 points scored by Wilson is the most in her WNBA Finals career as she set a new mark for the most points in a single playoff run. Moreover, she became the third player in league history behind Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones to post at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a WNBA Finals game.

Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon is pictured during her team's Game 3 win over Phoenix to take a 3-0 lead in the WNBA Finals. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

“It’s just what you work on,” Wilson said. “These are the little things that I work on in the offseason or just during the season just to put myself in situations that I can get to my spots and I can make things a little bit easier for our offense.”

Las Vegas opened the game in a box-and-one defense with the main focus being former Finals MVP Kahleah Copper. That opened the door for all-star forward Satou Sabally to rattle off 13 points in the game’s opening quarter.

“In Game 1 and Game 2, I didn’t like our starts,” Hammon said. “Today, I just wanted [them] to have to think. To do something else to where I didn’t have to call the first timeout.”

In the fourth quarter, Sabally would be forced to leave the game after falling into the quad of Aces forward Kierstan Bell. She’d need help off the floor and into the locker room after hitting her head.

After Sabally left the court, Copper turned in a 9-0 run all by herself to cut the once 17-point lead down to just a single point.

“It’s a game of runs,” Hammon said. “But we threw a pretty good punch coming out, they crawled back. We threw another punch, they crawled back. Of course I want the game to be played out perfectly but you have to give them some credit for getting hot.”

Aces guard Jewell Loyd flashes a "three-point" gesture with her hands after making a three-pointer. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

Guards Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray combined to add 32 points and 14 assists while compiling five total steals and three blocks. The large scoring numbers came despite the tandem shooting 2-of-11 from three-pointers as part of a shooting night that saw Las Vegas shoot 43% from the field and 38% from distance.

“When Phoenix goes on runs, we know we should’ve been there,” Wilson said. “We understand and hold each other accountable in big moments and don’t hang our heads on mistakes [made] in the moment.”

Reserve guard Jewell Loyd was responsible for four of the team’s nine made three-pointers with all four coming in a big way. She drilled four straight threes in the first quarter as part of a 17-0 run by the Aces.

Loyd would close the night with 16 points and seven rebounds in 30-plus minutes off the bench.

Additionally, Las Vegas went on a 9-0 run late in the second quarter to take a 12-point lead into halftime.

“I think a lot of it is just our pace,” Loyd said. “We’re going up and down quickly, running the corners – we get told a lot to get to the corners so [...] I know my role really well.”