đ A’ja Wilson after Las Vegas Aces win Game 3 | WNBA Finals playoffs basketball.
A’ja Wilson, Aces beat Mercury, one win from third WNBA title in four years
PHOENIX â 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 sheâs 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 didnât really see who was in front of me. I didnât care. This is the Finals, youâve 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
Satou Sabally exits with apparent head injury
Satou Sabally exited the game in the fourth quarter after her head collided with Kierstan Bellâs knee. Sabally missed a layup attempt with 4:25 remaining in the contest. As she went up for an offensive rebound, Saballyâs arm got wrapped up by Aces guard Jackie Young, causing her to fall and collide with Bellâs 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
Aâja Wilson continues to do Aâja 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.
Get the Sports newsletter in your inbox.
Sports news, no matter the season. Stop by for the scores, stay for the stories.
Delivery: Daily
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 Mercuryâs 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. Aâja 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.
âWeâre getting deflections. Weâre making their looks very, very hard. Weâve just got to contain ourselves without fouling,â Wilson said of her teamâs defensive effort in the first half. âThis is the Finals and Iâm trying to win a championship. If they say defense wins championship, then Iâm all aboard.â
Both teamâs benches have been a big storyline in the WNBA Finals and the Acesâ bench once again has the edge over Phoenix, outscoring the Mercuryâs 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. Aâja 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 Aâja 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 Aâja Wilson. Both Bonner and Tibbetts argued with the official after the call, resulting in Tibbetts getting Tâd up. Wilson hit both free throws to put the Aces ahead 24-21.
Las Vegas builds early lead
Weâre underway at Mortgage Matchup Center and the Aces have a 15-8 lead with 5:10 remaining in the first quarter.
Aces center Aâja 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. Sheâs 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.
