The clock wound down, and the weight of the world was in A’ja Wilson’s hands.
And, just as she has countless times in her WNBA career, the four-time MVP delivered.
Double-teamed by Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, Wilson sank a midrange jumper with 0.3 to take a 90-88 lead — and ultimately secure a 3-0 series lead in the WNBA Finals for the Aces.
The basket capped off another monster night for Wilson, who tallied 34 points on 11-20 FG, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. She’s now scored more points in one postseason than any player in WNBA history. She’s has more MVP awards than any player in the league.
But, just as it’s been all postseason, Wilson didn’t do it alone.
Down the stretch, two free throws from Jackie Young (21 points, 9 assists) and an and-one layup from Chelsea Gray (11 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks) kept the Aces in it. The other two members of the Aces Big Three made crucial plays in the game’s waning moments to help Las Vegas overcome Phoenix’s heroics.
And, while it’s the fourth quarter that will be remembered, earlier on, it was all Jewell Loyd — who continues to thrive off the bench in these finals. In the opening quarter, Loyd poured in 4 fourth-quarter three-pointers en route to a 16-point night.
The result is that the Aces are on the cusp of their third title in four seasons. And, A’ja Wilson is well on her way to her second Finals MVP.
The Phoenix Mercury fought until the final seconds
Wilson’s jumper erased what was a furious Mercury’s fourth-quarter comeback. The Mercury trailed by as many as 17 points in the fourth, but ultimately put themselves in a position to win Game 3, in large part due to the late heroics of Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner.
The 38-year-old Bonner — the WNBA’s all-time leader in playoff games played — put together her best game of the season when it mattered most. She poured in 25 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench, including 9 in the final period (and 5 in the final two minutes).
Copper, who had 17 points on the night, scored 11 points in less than 90 seconds of the fourth, helping the Mercury erase a fourth-quarter deficit.
Satou Sabally was in the midst of a big night when she went down with a head injury; she tallied 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, but left the game with 4.5 minutes to play.
The Mercury’s fourth-quarter rally inspired the home crowd and basketball fans alike.
But, when Wilson’s final shot rattled in, suddenly, none of it mattered.
“Those are the moments that you live for,” Wilson said. “So I’m glad I was able to show up.”
