The Las Vegas Aces are heading back to the WNBA Finals. A’ja Wilson dropped 38 points on 15 of 22 shooting, and Las Vegas eliminated the New York Liberty with an 89-77 win on Saturday night to complete a three-game sweep in the semifinals.
Wilson was unstoppable from the opening tip. She scored 14 points in the first quarter, added 12 more in the third, and closed the game with a series of mid-range jumpers over the smaller Liberty defenders. She is the front-runner to win her fourth MVP award and is on the cusp of a legacy already among the greatest in league history.
The Liberty, defending WNBA champions from 2024, could not slow Wilson down. Head coach Sandy Brondello tried Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and rookie forward Isabelle Harrison on Wilson at various points. None of it worked.
Chelsea Gray added 18 points and eight assists for Las Vegas. Jackie Young chipped in 16 points and hit a huge three in the fourth quarter that pushed the lead to double digits. And Kelsey Plum returned from a hamstring strain to play 22 productive minutes off the bench.
Head coach Becky Hammon has now guided the Aces to five straight WNBA Finals appearances. The organization is in the middle of one of the great dynastic runs in professional women’s basketball history, and Wilson is the anchor that makes all of it possible.
The Liberty enter the offseason with real questions. Stewart is under contract, but Sabrina Ionescu’s free agency will be one of the biggest storylines of the winter. Jonquel Jones is 32 and dealing with the wear of a long career. And the front office will have to decide whether to run it back or reset with a younger core.
The WNBA Finals matchup is set. The Aces will play the winner of the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx series, which is tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 on Tuesday. Phoenix has veteran star Diana Taurasi playing her final professional season, and Minnesota has emerging superstar Napheesa Collier leading a deep and balanced roster.
Either matchup would be compelling. Phoenix versus Vegas would be a legacy series for Taurasi and Wilson. Minnesota versus Vegas would be a battle of two of the best coached teams in the league, with Cheryl Reeve and Hammon both trying to add another championship to their resumes.
Wilson is chasing history. A fourth championship in five seasons would put her in the conversation for the greatest WNBA player of all time, and her legacy is already among the most decorated in the league’s history.
The Finals begin next Saturday. Las Vegas will be ready. The rest of the league is trying to figure out how to stop the Aces, and no one has cracked the code yet.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.