A'ja Wilson, Aces beat Mercury, one win from third WNBA title in four years

Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) defends Aces guard Jackie Young (0) during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury were on the verge of another double-digit comeback victory in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

Then Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson did what Wilson does best.

The Aces led by 17 points entering the fourth quarter before the Mercury tied it at 88 all with 5.0 seconds remaining. Then Wilson showed exactly why she’s the four-time MVP by knocking down a go-ahead jumper over the Mercury's Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner to reclaim the lead.

"I just needed a bucket to go in," Wilson said postgame. "I didn’t really see who was in front of me. I didn’t care. This is the Finals, you’ve got to make shots."

The No. 2 seed Aces are up 3-0 in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals following the 90-88 victory on Wednesday at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. The Aces are one win from securing their third WNBA championship in four years and have a chance to close out the series on Friday in Game 4 in Phoenix.

Wilson finished with a game-high 34 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. Jackie Young added 21 points and nine assists and Jewell Loyd had 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

The Mercury were led by DeWanna Bonner's 25 points off the bench. She had a chance at a catch and shoot as time expired which would have sent the game to overtime but it rimmed out. Satou Sabally had 24 points before exiting the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent head injury. Alyssa Thomas has 12 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.

GAME 2: Las Vegas Aces take 2-0 lead in WNBA Finals with Game 2 rout of Phoenix Mercury

WINNERS, LOSERS: Jackie Young, A'ja Wilson shine, Mercury deflated

Here's what you need to know for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals:

Satou Sabally exits with apparent head injury

Satou Sabally exited the game in the fourth quarter after her head collided with Kierstan Bell’s knee. Sabally missed a layup attempt with 4:25 remaining in the contest. As she went up for an offensive rebound, Sabally’s arm got wrapped up by Aces guard Jackie Young, causing her to fall and collide with Bell’s knee on the way down. Young was called for a loose ball foul. Sabally exited with a team-high 24 points and five rebounds.

End of Q3: Aces 76, Mercury 59

A’ja Wilson continues to do A’ja Wilson things. The Aces center has a game-high 28 points and 12 rebounds through three quarters, becoming the first player in WNBA Finals history to record three consecutive games with 25 or more points and 10 rebounds.

Aces guard Jackie Young is closing in on a double-double with 15 points and nine assists.

The turnovers are piling up for the Mercury. Phoenix is up 11 turnovers (four in the third quarter), leading to 16 points for the Aces. The Mercury have also left a lot of points at the free throw line, shooting 66.7% (12-of-18), the Mercury’s worst free throw performance this postseason.

Mercury forward Satou Sabally has 19 points and five rebounds. DeWanna Bonner has 16 points and six rebounds. Alyssa Thomas is closing in on a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but Thomas picked up her fourth personal foul with 2:13 remaining in the third quarter.

Mercury guard Kahleah Copper has struggled to get going offensively in Game 3, shooting 3-of-10 from the field and 0-of-3 from the 3-point line.

Halftime: Aces 55, Mercury 43

The Aces outscored the Mercury 29-20 in the second quarter to take a 12-point lead into halftime, marking the largest halftime lead by either team in the WNBA Finals.

The Aces are getting it done by committee with 17 assists on 19 field goals in the first half. A’ja Wilson has a game-high 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Jackie Young is up to 11 points and eight assists.

Satou Sabally has a team-high 15 points for the Mercury, while Alyssa Thomas added 11 points, six rebounds and and five assists. However, the Mercury were forced into seven first-half turnovers which led to 11 points.

“We’re getting deflections. We’re making their looks very, very hard. We’ve just got to contain ourselves without fouling,” Wilson said of her team’s defensive effort in the first half. “This is the Finals and I’m trying to win a championship. If they say defense wins championship, then I’m all aboard.”

Both team’s benches have been a big storyline in the WNBA Finals and the Aces’ bench once again has the edge over Phoenix, outscoring the Mercury’s bench 18-10 so far. Jewell Loyd has 12 points off the bench, all scored in the first quarter from the 3-point line. Loyd is the first player in WNBA Finals history to score four 3s in the first quarter.

DeWanna Bonner has given the Mercury productive minutes off the bench with 10 points and six rebounds in 13 minutes. Sami Whitcomb is still looking to get on the board and shot 0-of-3 from the 3-point line.

The Aces are shooting a staggering 56.3% (9-of-16) from the 3-point line. The Mercury is 3-of-10 from beyond the arc.

End of Q1: Aces 26, Mercury 23

The Aces led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter before the Mercury went on a 13-0 run to tie it up. Las Vegas has a three-point advantage heading into the second quarter.

Aces guard Jewell Loyd was shooting lights out in the first quarter, dropping 12 points in seven minutes off the bench, shooting 4-of-5 from the 3-point line. A’ja Wilson added 10 points and five rebounds.

Mercury forward Satou Sabally leads all scorers with 13 points, shooting 5-of-7 including a 3-pointer. DeWanna Bonner added five points and three rebounds off the bench while taking on the tall task of guarding A’ja Wilson.

Mercury head coach called for technical foul

Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts was called for a technical foul with 53.3 seconds remaining in the first quarter after DeWanna Bonner was called for a foul on Aces center A’ja Wilson. Both Bonner and Tibbetts argued with the official after the call, resulting in Tibbetts getting T’d up. Wilson hit both free throws to put the Aces ahead 24-21.

Las Vegas builds early lead

We’re underway at Mortgage Matchup Center and the Aces have a 15-8 lead with 5:10 remaining in the first quarter.

Aces center A’ja Wilson has a team-high seven points and four rebounds. Jewell Loyd added an instant punch of the bench, knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers. She’s up to six points in two minutes off the bench.

Satou Sabally leads the Mercury with five points, shooting 2-of-3 from the field including a 3-pointer. Alyssa Thomas added three points and one rebound.

What time is Mercury vs. Aces Game 3?

Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury is scheduled to tipoff at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.

Where to watch WNBA Finals: TV, streaming for Game 3

• Date: Wednesday, Oct. 8
• Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
• Location: Mortgage Matchup Center (Phoenix)
• TV: ESPN
• Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

WNBA starting lineups today

Here are the starting lineups for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals:

Las Vegas Aces starting lineup

Head coach: Becky Hammon

• 0 Jackie Young | G 6' 0" - Notre Dame
• 1 Kierstan Bell | F 6' 1" - Florida Gulf Coast
• 3 NaLyssa Smith | F 6' 4" - Baylor
• 12 Chelsea Gray | G 5' 11" - Duke
• 22 A'ja Wilson | C 6' 5" - South Carolina

Phoenix Mercury starting lineup

Head coach: Nate Tibbetts

• 0 Satou Sabally | F 6' 4" - Oregon
• 2 Kahleah Copper | G 6' 1" - Rutgers
• 4 Natasha Mack | C 6' 4" - Oklahoma State
• 8 Monique Akoa Makani | G 5' 11" - Cameroon
• 25 Alyssa Thomas | F 6' 2" - Maryland

Phoenix Mercury injury report

The Mercury will have all players available for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

Las Vegas Aces roster

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson stats

Wilson averaged a league-leading 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists (ties her career-high), a league-leading 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 40 games this season. Wilson averaged 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the Aces' first-round playoff series against the Seattle Storm, including a 38-point performance in Game 3, tying her playoff career high. Wilson averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals in the Aces' five-game semifinal series against the Indiana Fever, including a 35-point performance in the Aces' decisive Game 5 overtime win. Wilson had 28 points and 14 rebounds in the Aces' Game 2 win on Sunday.

Phoenix Mercury roster

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas stats

Thomas averaged 15.4 points, a league-leading 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in 39 games (all starts) this season. The 33-year-old recorded eight triple-doubles in the regular season, a WNBA single-season record, in addition to one triple-double in the postseason. Thomas, who was traded to the Mercury in February following 11 seasons in Connecticut, scored 10 points, six rebounds and five assists in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper stats

Copper averaged 15.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 assists in 28 regular season games. Copper had 21 points and four rebounds in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals and followed up that performance with 23 points and three rebounds in Game 2.

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally stats

Sabally recorded 22 points in the Mercury's loss to the Aces on Sunday in Game 2, shooting 7-of-19 from the field and 2-of-9 from the 3-point line. Sabally averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 39 games (all starts), shooting 40.5% from the field and 32.1% from the 3-point line.

2025 WNBA Finals schedule

How many games are in the WNBA Finals?

The league expanded the 2025 WNBA Finals from a best-of-five series to best-of-seven as the popularity and appetite for women's basketball continues to skyrocket. "The incredible demand for WNBA basketball makes this the ideal time," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at the announcement in 2024.

"It's exciting to be part of the first one," Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said on Oct. 2. "We talk about how a best-of-five is a tough series. ... We don't know what a best-of-seven brings, but nothing changes. We still approach it the same way."

WNBA champions by year

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A'ja Wilson, Aces beat Mercury, one win from third WNBA title in four years

Reporting by Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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