A'ja Wilson is the best women's basketball player in the world, and if another reminder was needed, she offered one Wednesday night.
With the score tied in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury, Las Vegas had the ball.
Vegas also had an ace in the hole — A'ja Wilson, the WNBA MVP.
Head coach Becky Hammon called a timeout wth five seconds left. She didn't do anything fancy. She had point guard Jackie Young take the ball out and inbound to A'ja Wilson.
Then, everyone got out of the way. Wilson scored over two Mercury defenders to win the game, 90-88, and for all intents and purposes, the series as the Aces grabbed a 3-0 series lead.
THAT'S OUR M'VP RIGHT THERE ️@_ajawilson22 // #RaiseTheStakes pic.twitter.com/JW7lmxcUcu
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) October 9, 2025
The winning points were the 34th for Wilson, who made 11 of 20 shots (55 percent) in addition to grabbing 14 rebounds for a double-double. The four-time MVP also blocked three shots and dished out four assists.
As usual, Wilson did it all. Like she has throughout the playoffs.
Wilson, who also shared the Defensive Player of the Year Award, winning it for the third time, is now one win away from her third WNBA championship. It would also be the third in four years for the Aces, which would make them only the second franchise in WNBA history to achieve that.
Wednesday was the fifth 30-point game of the WNBA playoffs for Wilson. She is shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from 3-point range and 75.9 percent from the free-throw line.
In the WNBA Finals, Wilson is scoring 27.6 points per game, grabbing 12.6 rebounds, dishing out four assists and blocking 1.6 shots.
If Wilson and the Aces win the championship, with one more win, it would be a remarkable achievement, considering they were one 11-11 and on the bubble of making the postseason.
After beating Seattle and Indiana in deciding games to reach the WNBA Finals, the Aces feel like a team of destiny, led by the best player in the sport.
At the start of the season, we wondered if that was Caitlin Clark or Napheesa Collier.
Wilson has ended that debate. Her play since the middle of the season speaks for itself, and frankly, the only peers for Wilson are the other players on the Mount Rushmore of the WNBA, where she rightfully belongs.
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