The Aces claimed their third championship in four years by completing the sweep of the Mercury in the first best-of-seven series in WNBA Finals history on Friday with a 97–86 win.
Although it was a quick sweep, this year’s Finals brought plenty of excitement. A’ja Wilson continued to do what A’ja Wilson does, putting up record numbers and adding another championship to her loaded trophy case that includes four MVPs.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts was surprisingly ejected after he received a double technical foul in the third quarter as his team faced elimination Friday. Alyssa Thomas put up a triple-double, the third of her career in the WNBA Finals, which adds to her league record. Kahleah Copper scored 30 points Friday, doing all she could to try and extend the series for Phoenix. But the Mercury missed forward Satou Sabally, who was out for the game after suffering a concussion in Game 3.
It was the Aces’ night, though, as they got back to the WNBA’s mountaintop a year after they were eliminated by the Liberty in last year’s semifinals before New York claimed its first title. Las Vegas silenced any dynasty questions as it cruised to another championship, powered by Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray.
With the Aces standing atop the league as champions yet again, here are three takeaways from their close-out game against the Mercury:
A’ja Wilson, always A’One
Wilson ended the night with 31 points, which gave her the most points in a WNBA Finals series in league history, passing Cappie Pondexter’s long-standing record. This year’s MVP hit the game-winning bucket with 0.3 seconds left on the clock and dropped 34 points in Game 3, which kept Phoenix from getting back in the series.
She had nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in addition to her 31 points in Game 4. She got to the free-throw line 19 times and connected on 17 of her foul shots. As if there was any question, Wilson was given the Finals MVP. It’s her second time receiving the honor after she claimed the award in 2023. She’s the greatest player in the world and continues to reach new heights.
The @LVAces win Game 4 and are the 2025 WNBA Champions 🚨
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2025
A'ja Wilson: 31 PTS | 9 REB | 4 AST | 3 BLKS | 2 STL
Jackie Young: 18 PTS | 7 REB | 8 AST
Chelsea Gray: 18 PTS | 4 REB | 4 AST | 2 STL | 2 BLKS#WelcometotheW
WNBA Finals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/YS3Lfs2RVd
Aces dazzle yet again from deep
The Aces hit nine three-pointers in the first half of Game 4 on Friday. That performance comes after they drained nine threes in the first 20 minutes of Game 3, which is the second most in any half in WNBA Finals history, per ESPN.
Las Vegas shot 12-for-31 (38.7%) as a unit from deep, which was too much for Phoenix to overcome. The Mercury went 5-for-18 (27.8%) from three and didn't have a single player make more than one trey.
Jewell Loyd, in particular, was efficient off the bench for Vegas yet again. She was a huge x-factor for the Aces during the four-game series, putting up her best offensive performances over the postseason as she knocked down four threes Friday. Gray knocked down big shot after big shot, too, ending the night with 18 points and 4-for-9 on three-pointers.
Alyssa Thomas’s toughness is unmatched
Thomas, the WNBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, went to the locker room just before halftime after a scary collision with Loyd. She grabbed her right shoulder in pain, but got taped up and returned to start the second half as Phoenix tried to avoid elimination.
She’s played with a torn labrum in each shoulder for eight years, which caused her to use her one-handed shooting motion because she can barely raise her arms. That doesn’t stop her from continuing to dominate in the WNBA, finishing Game 4 with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists with yet another triple-double (her third career triple-double in the WNBA Finals). The do-it-all forward is still searching for her first title, but she led the Mercury to the Finals in her first year in the desert.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What We Learned As the Aces Closed Out the Mercury in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.
