WNBA Finals: A’ja Wilson game winner prevents Mercury from completing epic comeback

Let’s be honest.

With the Phoenix Mercury trailing by 17 points going into the fourth quarter of WNBA Finals Game 3 on Wednesday, few of the season-high 17,071 at Mortgage Matchup Arena were drawing on Game 2 of the Mercury semifinals for hope.

But the Mercury themselves remembered how they stormed back from 20 down in the third quarter in Minneapolis on Sept. 23 to win 89-83 in overtime. They knew what was possible no matter how unlikely it seemed in a game the Las Vegas Aces led for all but 3:21 once the dust settled.

What a dust storm it was in the fourth.

The Mercury still trailed by 10 with 4:26 remaining when Satou Sabally took a knee to the head from Kierstan Bell and, in very wobbly condition, was helped to the locker room. 

Kahleah Copper made two free throws in Sabally’s absence, the first of 11 consecutive Mercury points by her capped by a 3-pointer that cut the deficit to one at 3:05.

Then it was DeWanna Bonner’s turn, with a 3-pointer and two free throws for a tie at 88 with 1:01 left. “They would not die,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. 

The Mercury could have taken their first lead since 8-6 after an A’ja Wilson turnover. But Alyssa Thomas missed on a drive at 19 seconds. Then Hammon called timeout at five seconds, not so much to set up a play as to arrange her pieces to create the most space possible for Wilson.

“Give the ball to A’ja and get out of the way,” Hammon said. “That’s all the play was.”

“Yeah, I feel like in that moment if a coach has to tell me what to do, I’m not doing my job,” said Wilson, who did it to her four-time WNBA Most Valuable Player level, hitting a 7-foot jumper vs. a Bonner-Thomas double team with under a second to go for 90-88.

A’JA WILSON PUTS ACES UP 2 WITH 0.3 LEFT.

M’VP. @Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/yB9grvkJ3P

— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) October 9, 2025

Bonner missed a rushed 13-footer off a lob pass with a chance to force overtime, and the Aces probably locked up their third championship in four years. They lead the league’s first best-of-7 Finals 3-0 ahead of Game 4 Friday in Phoenix. 

The Mercury, losers in Game 1 and 3 by a combined five points, will need an even bigger miracle than they nearly achieved Wednesday to win their first title since 2014.

“I don’t know how many (NBA) teams have come from down 0-3,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. “Not many, so I’m not going to sugarcoat that. We’ve got a tough road ahead.

“We put ourselves in a position to win against a really good team. I’m proud of our group for not giving in, and that’s what we expect on Friday too. We’re going to keep fighting. That’s what this group is about.”

The Mercury could be without Sabally if she is dealing with a concussion, which likely would elevate Bonner into the starting lineup. The 38-year-old forward had a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double in Game 3 even though she was playing through illness.

“It’s the Final so I’m going to play regardless,” said Bonner, also charged with primarily guarding Wilson for the first time in the series.

#Mercury Alyssa Thomas on first half defense vs Las Vegas being “unacceptable” #wnbafinals pic.twitter.com/XCNTs05myR

— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) October 9, 2025

“The first two games in Vegas I was a little hesitant,” scoring a combined 14 points. “I already had the mindset that I was going to come in and attack the paint regardless. Just trying to be aggressive, just trying to get some points on the board for my team and do whatever I can on defense defending A’ja.”

Wilson had a series high 34 and 14 rebounds. She is up to 291 points total this postseason, the most in league history surpassing Napheesa Collier’s 285 last year. 

Making up for the turnover that could have cost the Aces a win in whatever way was Wilson’s primary motivation in the closing seconds.

“These are the moments that you dream of,” she said. “These are just the times that you see on TV sometimes. You’re watching you’re like, oh my God, to be in that building, and it’s truly powerful.”

The Mercury had a 40-30 edge in paint points but didn’t get their 3-point shooting on track until the fourth quarter. They were 3-of-15 from 3-point until the fourth when they made 4-of-6. They led 24-14 in second-chance points, a point of emphasis coming into Game 3.

#Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts on 4th Q comeback from 17 down vs Las Vegas in #wnbafinals Game 3 pic.twitter.com/n650EWXDmP

— jeffmetcalfe (@jeffmetcalfe) October 9, 2025

The Aces led 21-8 early off Jewell Loyd’s barrage of four 3-pointers and 55-43 at halftime. In the second half, the Mercury limited Las Vegas to 35 points, their best defense of the series.

“It’s how we should be playing from the start,” said Thomas, named WNBA All-Defensive first team Wednesday. “It took us too long to wake up and play defense. I think the second half is our basketball and how we play. Shame on us for not coming out the way that we needed to come out.”

The Mercury will have at least one more chance in Friday’s elimination game, their third of these playoffs. They were down 1-0 vs. New York in a best-of-3 first round then won the next two to reach the semifinals, winning that round 3-1 over Minnesota with facing an elimination game.