2025 Playoffs

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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-205369" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240353739-1.jpg" alt="A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates with head coach Becky Hammon after winning Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240353739-1.jpg 5315w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240353739-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
PHOENIX — For a while, Becky Hammon grew used to being overlooked. Not recruited by the biggest college programs, undrafted by the WNBA and perpetually passed over by NBA teams looking for head coaches.
It ate at her. Hammon is hypercompetitive, the product of a household that made everything into a game. Nothing was fun unless you were keeping score.
“No one ever picks me,” Hammon said during her first season in Las Vegas.
The Aces, however, did. They moved on from head coach Bill Laimbeer, who had won three WNBA championships and picked Hammon as their future coach, the person to lead them in their next chapter.
Now, Hammon is the standard of excellence in the WNBA, the owner of the greatest coaching record in finals history (10-2) as Las Vegas collected its third title in four years in a sweep of the Phoenix Mercury with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6708093/2025/10/10/las-vegas-aces-wnba-championship-sweep-phoenix-mercury/" data-index="0">Friday night’s 97-86 victory</a>. She is one of four coaches in WNBA history to win three titles. The league’s newest dynasty is a product of her creation.
Hammon was a Hall of Fame player. She trained under one of the best coaches in NBA history, serving as an assistant under Gregg Popovich for seven seasons and having a front-row seat to the rapid evolution of the modern game. Her basketball bona fides and her understanding of the X’s and O’s are unimpeachable. Hammon knows how to push the right buttons on the court with her team.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“This one hits different because it is different.” 🥹
— Becky Hammon after the <a href="https://twitter.com/LVAces?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LVAces</a> championship-clinching Game 4 performance.
 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBAFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBAFinals</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTubeTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouTubeTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/dJv4I6RI5U">pic.twitter.com/dJv4I6RI5U</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1976882547650068953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
She coached a masterclass series against the Mercury. Turning to a zone defense in the second half of Game 1 suffocated Phoenix’s offense, denying Alyssa Thomas the middle of the floor and turning the tide of the game. The defensive adjustments on the Mercury’s middle pick-and-roll, with the guards digging in on Thomas’ dribble, continued to fluster Phoenix throughout.
In the third game, already armed with a 2-0 lead, Hammon went for the jugular. The Aces had poor starts in both of their wins, so she made a preemptive adjustment with a box-and-one on Kahleah Copper. It had the dual outcomes of helping her team lock in at the beginning of the game to implement a new defense and further confuse the Mercury’s offense.
“We ran into a team that has been through it together. We ran into a team that had the ultimate belief and trust that they could get it done as a unit with a great coach that has been through this,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said.
Despite winning with a sweep, this is arguably not even the best finals series Hammon has coached, considering she won a clinching game on the road in 2023 without two starters, designing a new scheme on the fly and trusting that her team would respond.
However, it was the intangibles Hammon brought to Las Vegas that allowed a team that was knocking on the door — a finals loss in 2020 and semifinals defeats in 2019 and 2021 — to push through into immortality.
The Aces love Hammon for her creativity and the specific ways she works with each player.
“She does a really good job of just finding ways to connect with each player, finding different ways for us to stay focused,” Aces guard Jewell Loyd said. “But also, it’s never boring, whether it’s an animal analogy and just finding ways to connect, whether it’s music, art or storytelling.”
Hammon’s father was a storyteller. She said he once told her and her siblings the plot of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” on a family road trip, but changed the names of the characters to the names of his children. He always wanted to make sure there was a lesson in every tale. Hammon has commissioned the Las Vegas content team to produce videos that tell a story for her players; none resonated more than a midseason feature titled “The Champions Who Lost Their Way.” on many occasions, Hammon went back to that video for motivation.
Hammon gave each player a plant with a special message on it at the start of the season. For Kierstan Bell, who had just lost her father, the message was to “keep choosing joy.” Most of the players didn’t have green thumbs and weren’t accustomed to caring for plants, especially with their itinerant lifestyles. But they honed in on a new challenge — Loyd, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray all bragged to Hammon on the championship podium that their plants are still alive — and ran with the metaphor all season of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6679057/2025/10/01/las-vegas-aces-wnba-finals-return/" data-index="7">being planted, not buried.</a>
When Las Vegas was struggling earlier in the season, she had the players watch the movie Thunderbirds, a film about the U.S. Air Force squadron. The goal was for the players to see blind trust in action, a feeling they were missing on the court. It was an ethos Hammon tried to reinforce with an egg-walking activity where players were blindfolded on a mat with their teammates and had to navigate to the other side backwards without crushing any eggs.
There are many other Hammon-isms in her inspirational toolkit: animal analogies, the acronyms and more. One of her pet words of choice is “grace” — each Aces player has to run her race and be given grace. The path may not have been what they expected at the beginning of the season, but it was their specific journey.
“It’s not just her basketball mind, it’s because she can form relationships and bonds,” finals MVP A’ja Wilson said. “That’s when you see winning cultures is when your leader is so poured into you. You want to win and play for her, so we’re grateful. Obviously, (Hammon) keeps bringing championships to Vegas, and we’re just happy to be on the ride.”
In the modern era of the WNBA, Las Vegas is the standard, the team the rest of the league continues to chase. Hammon may have come from humble beginnings, but there is nothing ordinary or overlooked about her story now.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/sabreena-merchant/" aria-label="Sabreena Merchant's Author Page">Sabreena Merchant</a> is a women&#8217;s basketball Staff Writer for The Athletic. She previously covered the WNBA and NBA for SB Nation. Sabreena is an alum of Duke University, where she wrote for the independent student newspaper, The Chronicle. She is based in Los Angeles. Follow Sabreena on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/sabreenajm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Follow Sabreena on Twitter">@sabreenajm</a>

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How Las Vegas Aces Coach Becky Hammon Became Architect of a WNBA Dynasty

Led by a record-shattering performance from 2025 WNBA League and Finals MVP A&#8217;ja Wilson, the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury (4-0) in the inaugural best-of-seven Finals series in the 2025 WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV. The Aces concluded an unprecedented season with a historic Finals run, capturing their third WNBA championship in four years 
Check out some of the records and accolades the Aces collected through their 2025 Finals campaign.
<hr />
Game 2
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Jackie Young tallied the most-ever points in an individual quarter of a WNBA Finals game (21 PTS in Q3)
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previously: Angel McCoughtry &#8211; 19 PTS in 3Q of 2011 Finals Game 1</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson &amp; Jackie Young (60) combined for the second-most points by duo in Finals history
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">1. Jewell Loyd (28) &amp; Breanna Stewart (37) Game 1 of 2020 Finals (65 combined)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2. A&#8217;ja Wilson (28) &amp; Jackie Young (32)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-205338" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239057636-2.jpg" alt="A'ja Wilson #22 high fives Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces during the game against the Phoenix Mercury during Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Finals" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239057636-2.jpg 4428w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239057636-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239057636-2-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<hr />
Game 3
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson (50) passed Napheesa Collier (48) for the most combined steals and blocks in a single playoff run
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">1. A&#8217;ja Wilson &#8211; 55 BLK &amp; STL (12 games in 2025)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2. Napheesa Collier &#8211; 48 BLK &amp; STL (12 games in 2024)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">3. Tamika Catchings &#8211; 47 BLK &amp; STL (10 games in 2009)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A’ja Wilson set the WNBA record for most total points in a single playoff run
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Top 5 all-time playoff scoring totals:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A’ja Wilson: 287 PTS (11 games, 2025)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Napheesa Collier: 285 PTS (12 games, 2024)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Diana Taurasi: 245 PTS (11 games, 2009)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Brittney Griner: 240 PTS (11 games, 2021)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Maya Moore: 234 PTS (10 games, 2015)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson’s game-winning shot was just the fourth game-winning basket in the final second of the 4th quarter (since 2006) or second half (before 2006) of a Finals game, joining:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Alana Beard: Game 1 of 2016 WNBA Finals (0:00 4Q, LAS 78 MIN 76)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Maya Moore: Game 3 of 2015 WNBA Finals (0:00 4Q, MIN 80 IND 77)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Sabrina Ionescu: Game 3 of 2024 WNBA Finals (0:01 4Q, NYL 80 MIN 77)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-205339" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240122350.jpg" alt="A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces shoots the game-winning basket during Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240122350.jpg 3600w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240122350-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240122350-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240122350-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<hr />
Game 4
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The Las Vegas Aces finished 145-52 across regular season and playoffs dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season, the best in the league over that span:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Las Vegas Aces: 145-52 (.736)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">New York Liberty: 123-64 (.658)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Minnesota Lynx: 108-73 (.597)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The Las Vegas Aces (2022, 2023, 2025) are the second franchise to win three championships in a 4-season span, joining the Houston Comets (1997-2000).
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">They are the 7th WNBA team to have at least 3 WNBA Finals Championships to their name, joining:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Minnesota Lynx (4)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Houston Comets (4)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Seattle Storm (4)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Los Angeles Sparks (3)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Phoenix Mercury (3)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Detroit Shock (3)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The Las Vegas Aces finished the season 25-3 over their last 28 games, becoming just the 4th WNBA champion to do so and the first since 2014, joining some of the greatest teams in league history:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">1998 Houston Comets</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2001 Los Angeles Sparks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2014 Phoenix Mercury</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2025 Las Vegas Aces</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Becky Hammon (2022, 2023, 2025) becomes the fourth coach in league history to have three or more WNBA Championships, joining:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Van Chancellor: 4x (1997-2000)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Cheryl Reeve: 4x (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Bill Laimbeer: 3x (2003, 2006, 2008)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Among the six coaches with at least 10 Finals games coached, Becky Hammon has the highest win %:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Becky Hammon: 10-2 (.833)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Brian Agler: 8-5 (.615)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Cheryl Reeve: 17-13 (.567)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Bill Laimbeer: 10-9 (.526)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Sandy Brondello: 8-8 (.500)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Mike Thibault: 5-10 (.333)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Jewell Loyd becomes a champion for the third time (2018, 2020, 2025) and is the only player in WNBA history to record a 10-0 record in Finals games.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Top 5 by winning % (min. 10 GP):
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Jewell Loyd: 10-0 (1.000)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Sue Bird: 11-1 (.917)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Alysha Clark: 9-1 (.900)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Monica Wright: 7-3 (.700)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Penny Taylor: 9-4 (.682)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-205346" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239851880.jpg" alt="The Las Vegas Aces players holds up the 2025 WNBA Championship trophy after winning against the Phoenix Mercury during Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239851880.jpg 5388w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239851880-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson (114 PTS) tallied the most points in a single Finals series across WNBA history, passing Cappie Pondexter&#8217;s record set in 2007.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson &#8211; 114 across four games in 2025</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Cappie Pondexter &#8211; 110 PTS across five games in 2007 w/ PHX</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson (120) recorded the most rebounds in a single postseason across WNBA history, passing Jonquel Jones:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson: 120 in 2025</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Jonquel Jones: 116 in 2023</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Alyssa Thomas: 114 in 2022</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A’ja Wilson (28.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.0 BPG, 1 SPG) becomes the only player in WNBA Finals history to average 25+ points and 10+ rebounds across a WNBA Finals series.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A’ja Wilson becomes the sixth player to win multiple WNBA Finals MVPs, joining:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Cynthia Cooper – 4x (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Lisa Leslie – 2x (2001, 2002)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Diana Taurasi – 2x (2009, 2014)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Sylvia Fowles – 2x (2015, 2017)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Breanna Stewart – 2x (2018, 2020)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> She joins Stewart as the only player to do so before turning 30.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A’ja Wilson is the first player in WNBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year, MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A’ja Wilson tallied her third MVP and third WNBA Championship since 2022, joining Bill Russell as the only players across NBA / WNBA history to total 3 of each across a 4-season span. Russell did this 3x in his career:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">1959-60–1962-63</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">1960-61–1963-64</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">1961-62–1964-65</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-205347" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239862404.jpg" alt="A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces poses for a portrait with the 2025 WNBA Finals MVP Award trophy after winning the 2025 WNBA Championship " width="960" height="640" />

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History: The Las Vegas Aces' 2025 Finals Accolades

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Top 10 Plays of the Week

In an elimination game in the Semi-Finals against the Indiana Fever, something shifted for the Las Vegas Aces. It wasn’t just an A’ja Wilson lock-in that helped the Aces get over the hump that was the ridiculously resilient Fever, but contributions from her “supporting cast” that got Las Vegas to yet another championship series &#8211; their fifth appearance since the calendar turned to 2020.
Supporting cast is also a highly disrespectful way to describe the talent of Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young, two veterans who have now experienced three championships in four years with one another, and with Wilson. The duo lifted the Aces past the Fever in overtime in that series, both combining for 49 points, 16 assists, four steals, and six rebounds in the win. 
Those three, as talented as they are, were also led and supported by one of the greatest coaches in WNBA history in Becky Hammon. She’s a huge part of why the Aces can never, ever, be counted out. Along the way this year, as Wilson said in her postgame press conference following the team’s series win, Hammon’s leadership was key to keeping this team afloat through a tumultuous 2025. 
<div id="attachment_205320" style="width: 970px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-205320" class="wp-image-205320" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239854533.jpg" alt="Head Coach Becky Hammon, A'ja Wilson #22, Chelsea Gray #12 and Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces speak to the media following Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Finals" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239854533.jpg 8241w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239854533-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />Head Coach Becky Hammon, A&#8217;ja Wilson #22, Chelsea Gray #12 and Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces speak to the media following Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Finals</div>
“Becky has done tremendous things for this franchise. And, it’s not just her basketball mind. It’s the way she can form relationships and bonds with people, and I think that’s what you see in winning cultures. Your leader is so important to you. You want to win and play for her. So, we’re grateful, obviously. You keep bringing championships to Vegas. We’re just happy to be on the ride with you,” said Wilson. 
In addition to Wilson and Hammon’s elite leadership throughout this year, Gray, who is going to go down as one of the best point guards in WNBA history, finished up her immaculate postseason by moving up to 7th place all-time on the Finals scoring list with 298 points. She also moved into 3rd place all-time in steals in the Finals with 34, 8th all-time for total playoff games played with 65, and 3rd all time in Aces franchise history postseason scoring with 616 points. 
Young, to boot, tied Sue Bird during the postseason with the most postseason games with at least five assists in the first quarter of a contest with four. 
This big three, which at one was part of an Aces team headed into the All-Star break heralding a  14-14 record and an abysmal chance at even making the postseason, let alone winning the Finals, seemed to become a different team. They won 16 straight games after experiencing a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx back in August, motivated to not let the year end on such a low note.
<div id="attachment_205321" style="width: 970px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-205321" class="wp-image-205321" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239851807.jpg" alt="A'ja Wilson #22, Jackie Young #0, and Chelsea Gray #12 of the Las Vegas Aces pose for a photo with the 2025 WNBA Championship trophy" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239851807.jpg 5580w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239851807-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22, Jackie Young #0, and Chelsea Gray #12 of the Las Vegas Aces pose for a photo with the 2025 WNBA Championship trophy</div>
When asked what made this championship a bit sweeter for all involved, Gray said the journey &#8211; with its .500 twists and streaky turns &#8211; has led to this Finals victory becoming one for the books for Las Vegas. 
“To be here right now, and where we were in May and June, there was a lot of doubt in that locker room. But, we had confidence in each other. I’m just really proud of how we stayed the course and trusted the process the entire time.”
That confidence, oozed mainly by Wilson en route to her fourth Most Valuable Player victory and another Defensive Player of the Year honor, changed the landscape of the postseason entirely. Las Vegas, previously sleepwalking through the season, had suddenly emerged as a powerhouse to fear once again. They climbed over the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty in the stands, snagging the 2nd seed after nearly landing on the outside looking in.
In addition to Wilson, Gray, and Young completely re-shaping the outcome of the Aces season, smaller moves that underwhelmed some ended up becoming paramount to their resurgence. Signing Dana Evans, a championship-experienced veteran guard, and NaLyssa Smith, a proper backup forward to Wilson, ended up helping Las Vegas solve one of their biggest issues headed into the 2025 season &#8211; the lack of a cohesive bench unit.  
Evans finished up the postseason averaging 8.4 points per game and 2.9 assists per game on 53.3 percent shooting from three point range and 46.8 percent shooting from the field overall. Smith, on the way to winning her first championship in her fourth season in the WNBA, averaged 7.1 points per game, five rebounds, and one block in 23 minutes per game. 
Adding another former champion in Jewell Loyd to that bench &#8211; acquired in a blockbuster trade to kick off the season &#8211; was simply unfair. She managed to spark the Aces’ offense in key moments along their playoff run, hitting threes at a clip of 41.3 percent on 5.3 attempts per game. Someone of Loyd&#8217;s talent getting moved to the bench could’ve been a misfire &#8211; instead, it brought her back to life on the court. 
<div id="attachment_205322" style="width: 970px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-205322" class="wp-image-205322" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239854759.jpg" alt="Dana Evans #11 of the Las Vegas Aces holds up the 2025 WNBA Championship trophy" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239854759.jpg 7407w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239854759-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2239854759-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />Dana Evans #11 of the Las Vegas Aces holds up the 2025 WNBA Championship trophy</div>
This Finals series was set to be a far more competitive one. A sweep was seemingly out of the question between a 2 seed and a 4 seed. You would’ve been hard pressed to find a prediction regarding this series that didn’t include the phrases “it’ll be hard fought,” or “this is going to seven games.”
The Phoenix Mercury, with their own hardware and history, looked primed to get their first championship trophy since 2014. Health was on their side to begin this series &#8211; but, it was also on the side of the Aces. In a postseason of attrition, we were seeing the two teams that managed to stay relatively healthy in the Finals. 
While we did get to see some competitive bouts between these two squads in this series &#8211; Game 3 ending on a game-winning shot from Wilson, and Game 1 being decided by just three points &#8211; you knew that this was the Aces series to lose. 
Their big three came out as the most consistent against Phoenix’s own star trio in Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, and Satou Sabally. Sabally, who unfortunately went down in Game 3 with a scary concussion, couldn’t get back in time for Game 4 and Phoenix’s last push to try and prevent a sweep. 
Las Vegas, as they have in their last three championships, came out as the most cohesive, chemistry-filled, and motivated team between the two vying to hoist the championship trophy at halfcourt. Their dynasty is officially set in stone. And, you can just tell they’re not done dominating with this core just yet.

inside-las-vegas-aces-2025-championship-run

A Dynasty Defined: Inside Las Vegas’ 2025 Championship Run

AP Recap

PHOENIX (AP) — A’ja Wilson put in work in the paint, getting bucket after bucket despite multiple defenders draped all over her.
She got plenty of help from Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans. The trio started raining 3s early in the second quarter.
The Las Vegas Aces — once again — were an offensive force in the WNBA Finals, and they were well on their way to their third championship in four seasons. They finished off a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 victory on Friday night.
“These guys are elite,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said.
Wilson had 31 points and nine rebounds while Gray and Jackie Young each scored 18 points. Five players scored in double figures.
The Aces made quick work of the league’s first best-of-seven Finals. They scored 54 points in the first half and averaged more than 90 points per game in the series.
Wilson came to the postgame press conference wearing giant ski goggles from a Champagne celebration in the locker room and carrying a pink tambourine, shaking it after answers she liked.
“This is a symbol of the joyfulness we have right now,” Wilson said, grinning. “I’m just so grateful to be with this bunch — and that’s not the alcohol talking.”
Wilson came to the postgame press conference wearing giant ski goggles from a Champagne celebration in the locker room and carrying a pink tambourine, shaking it after answers she liked.
“This is a symbol of the joyfulness we have right now,” Wilson said, grinning. “I’m just so grateful to be with this bunch — and that’s not the alcohol talking.”
Wilson — honored as the Finals MVP — led the way for the Aces despite a poor shooting night. The four-time regular-season MVP finished 7 of 21 from the field, but made 17 of 19 free throws. Gray made four 3-pointers, including two in the fourth quarter to help turn back a final rally by the Mercury.
The Aces led 76-62 going into the fourth quarter, but the Mercury went on an 8-0 run that cut the deficit to 76-70 with 7:56 left. That was as close as they would get.
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Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 30 points, shooting 12 of 22 from the field. Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/mercury-coach-nate-tibbetts-ejected-wnba-finals-555e8d47402d52fd1818b122d40bb2ee" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">was ejected in the third quarter</a> after receiving two quick technical fouls from official Gina Cross. Tibbetts was arguing a foul call against Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani, and reacted in disbelief as he was escorted off the court.
DeWanna Bonner and Copper also got called for technical fouls in the fourth quarter.
The Aces never trailed in the series clincher, building a 30-21 lead by the end of the first quarter on 55% shooting. Loyd, Gray and Evans made three straight 3s early in the second quarter to put Las Vegas ahead by 19.
Las Vegas settled for a 54-38 halftime advantage. Wilson had 14 points before the break while Gray added 10.
Tibbetts said the Aces were a tough team to guard all series.
“Unbelievable team — they were just playing at an extremely high level,” Tibbetts said. “We put ourselves in position to have a chance in a couple games, but what a run they’ve been on. Hitting big shots after big shots.”
The Mercury were without forward Satou Sabally, who suffered a concussion near the end of Game 3. They suffered another injury blow on Friday when Thomas had to leave just before halftime after taking a hard hit to her right shoulder on a screen from Loyd.
Thomas returned for the second half but was hampered by the injury.
The Mercury enjoyed a deep playoff run under Tibbetts, but couldn’t find a way to slow down the Aces. Phoenix made it to the finals after beating the defending champion New York Liberty in the opening round and knocking off the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the semifinals.
Phoenix lost in the WNBA Finals for the second time in five years, also falling to the Chicago Sky in 2021. The Mercury have won three championships, with the last coming in 2014.
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2025-finals-aces-mercury-game-4-recap

Game Recap: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury (Finals, Game 4)

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A'ja Wilson with 31 Points vs. Phoenix Mercury

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Phoenix Mercury vs. Las Vegas Aces - Game Highlights

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Las Vegas Aces Top Plays vs. Phoenix Mercury

Awards

– Wilson and Collier Joined on First Team by Alyssa Thomas, Allisha Gray and Kelsey Mitchell – 
– Eight-Time All-WNBA Team Selection Nneka Ogwumike Leads Second Team, Which Also Features 
Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Aliyah Boston and Paige Bueckers – 
– Gray, Mitchell, Boston and Bueckers Make Their All-WNBA Team Debuts –
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2025 – Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player and Kia WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier have been unanimously selected to the 2025 All-WNBA First Team, the WNBA announced today.
Wilson and Collier, the runner-up for the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, were named to the All-WNBA First Team on all 72 ballots in voting by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Wilson earned a spot on the First Team for the fourth consecutive season and is an All-WNBA pick for the sifth time overall. Collier, a four-time All-WNBA Team selection, was voted to the First Team for the third straight season.
Joining Wilson and Collier (360 points each) on the 2025 All-WNBA First Team are Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (358), Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (341) and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (320).
This is the fourth All-WNBA Team selection for Thomas, who makes her third consecutive appearance on the First Team. Gray and Mitchell are All-WNBA Team selections for the first time.
The 2025 All-WNBA Second Team consists of Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (185 points), Aces guard Jackie Young (148), Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (125), Fever center Aliyah Boston (112) and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (112).
Ogwumike is an All-WNBA Team choice for the eighth time, Ionescu for the fourth time and Young for the second time. Boston makes her debut on the All-WNBA Team. Bueckers’ selection marks the second straight season a rookie was selected to the All-WNBA Team (Indiana’s Caitlin Clark was a First Team choice in 2024).
Voting for the All-WNBA Team was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season. Players were selected without regard to position and received five points for each First Team vote and three points for each Second Team vote.
2025 All-WNBA First Team 
A’ja Wilson, Aces: In her eighth WNBA season, Wilson earned a record fourth Kia WNBA MVP Award – her second consecutive MVP honor – and was a co-winner of the Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award along with Minnesota’s Alanna Smith. The 6-4 Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocked shots and 1.6 steals – all the second-best per-game marks of her career. She led the league in points per game for the second straight season and in blocks per game for the fifth time. Wilson also scored the most points (937) and had the highest efficiency rating (29.2) in the WNBA.
Napheesa Collier, Lynx: Collier, the runner-up to Wilson as the Kia WNBA MVP in 2024 and 2025, was the Kia WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month for May, June and July. She was selected to the WNBA All-Defensive Team for the fourth time. The 6-1 forward ranked second in the league in scoring with a career-high 22.9 points per game. In addition, Collier ranked 11th in rebounds per game (7.3) and third in steals per game (1.6). Behind Collier, the Lynx finished the regular season with the league’s best record (34-10).
Alyssa Thomas, Mercury: The 6-2 Thomas finished third in voting for the Kia WNBA MVP Award after setting a WNBA regular-season record with eight triple-doubles, extending her WNBA career-leading mark to 19. In addition, Thomas led the league in assists per game (9.2) and recorded a league record for total assists (357). She also finished third in the league in rebounds per game (8.8). Thomas was selected to the WNBA All-Defensive Team for the seventh time.
Allisha Gray, Dream: In her ninth WNBA season, Gray earned her third straight All-Star selection and was an All-Star starter for the first time. The 6-0 guard was named the Kia WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for May, June and August and finished fourth in voting for the Kia WNBA MVP Award. Gray ranked seventh in the league in scoring with a career-high 18.4 points per game. She also set career highs in rebounds (5.3) and assists per game (3.5) and ranked sixth in the WNBA in three-point field goals made (98).
Kelsey Mitchell, Fever: Mitchell ranked third in the WNBA in scoring with a career-high 20.2 points per game and made a league-leading 111 three-point field goals. In her eighth WNBA season, Mitchell was an All-Star selection for the third consecutive season and finished fifth in the voting for the Kia WNBA MVP Award. The 6-0 guard also contributed 3.4 assists per game.
2025 All-WNBA Second Team 
Nneka Ogwumike, Storm: In her 14th WNBA season, Ogwumike started all 44 regular season games and earned her 10th All-Star selection. The 6-2 forward ranked ninth in the WNBA in points per game (18.3), 13th in rebounds per game (7.0) and 11th in field goal percentage (51.9). Ogwumike also became the sixth player in league history to reach 7,000 career points and the only one to do so while shooting at least 50 percent from the field.
Jackie Young, Aces: The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm and a two-time WNBA champion with Las Vegas, Young was an All-Star selection for the fourth season in a row. The 6-0 guard finished 12th in the league in scoring (16.5 points per game) and 11th in assists (5.1 apg), ranking second among Aces players in both categories while posting the second-best figure of her career in each.
Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty: The 5-11 guard ranked 10th in the WNBA in points per game (18.2) and sixth in assists per game (5.7). She also led the league in free throw percentage (93.3) and finished ninth in three-point field goals made (81). In addition, she contributed 4.9 rebounds and a career-high 1.3 steals per game. In her sixth WNBA season, Ionescu was selected as an All-Star for the fourth consecutive season.
Aliyah Boston, Fever: The unanimous 2023 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in all of her three WNBA seasons, Boston helped lead the Fever to a spot in the WNBA Semifinals and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team. The 6-5 center-forward averaged career highs of 15.0 points and 3.7 assists per game. She finished sixth among WNBA players in rebounds per game (8.2), fourth in total rebounds (361) and fifth in field goal percentage (53.8).
Paige Bueckers, Wings: The 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year led all rookies in total points (692), points per game (19.2), total assists (194) and assists per game (5.4). Among all players, Bueckers ranked fifth in scoring average, sixth in steals per game (1.6) and ninth in assists per game. The 6-0 guard, who was voted as a starter for the 2025 AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game, set a WNBA single-game scoring record for rookies with 44 points at the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20.
In honor of their accomplishments, each member of the All-WNBA First Team will receive $10,300 and each member of the Second Team will receive $5,150.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 All-WNBA Team.
2025 ALL-WNBA FIRST TEAM 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Player, Team 
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">
1st Team Votes 
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">
2nd Team Votes 
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">
Total Points 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">72</td>
<td style="width: 25%">0</td>
<td style="width: 25%">360</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">72</td>
<td style="width: 25%">0</td>
<td style="width: 25%">360</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">71</td>
<td style="width: 25%">1</td>
<td style="width: 25%">358</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">67</td>
<td style="width: 25%">2</td>
<td style="width: 25%">341</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">58</td>
<td style="width: 25%">10</td>
<td style="width: 25%">320</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
2025 ALL-WNBA SECOND TEAM
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 176px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 56px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 56px">
Player, Team
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 56px">1st Team Votes</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 56px">
2nd Team Votes 
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 56px">Total Points</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">60</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">185</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">5</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">41</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">148</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">40</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">125</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">2</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">34</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">112</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">2</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">34</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
112
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Players were selected without regard for position. Players received five points for each First Team vote and three points for each Second Team vote.
# # #

2025-all-wnba-teams

A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier Unanimously Selected to 2025 All-WNBA First Team

Finals Top Plays

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Top Plays of the Day, 10/8/25

Latest

A'ja Wilson

Career Highlights
<ul>
<li>2023 &amp; 2022 WNBA Champion</li>
<li>2024, 2022 &amp; 2020 WNBA M’VP</li>
<li>2023 WNBA Finals M’VP</li>
<li>2023 &amp; 2022 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year</li>
<li>2024, 2023, 2022 &amp; 2020 All-WNBA First Team</li>
<li>2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019 &amp; 2018 WNBA All-Star</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://aces.wnba.com/aja-wilson-bio/">Click here for more on A’ja Wilson, including season-by-season, international, college and personal notes.</a>