As the final buzzer echoed through Mortgage Matchup Center, the Aces’ erupted from their seats and the team crowded each other, cheering, jumping and laughing. Some players, like Chelsea Gray, were even crying tears of joy.
Four-time regular season MVP A’ja Wilson, who also earned the award of Finals MVP, has a staggering postseason. Through the playoffs and the finals, Wilson amassed 322 points, including 31 points in Game 4. She managed nine postseason rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks. She also became the first player in league history to win the Championship and be named regular-season MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in the same season.
Wilson’s dominance and leadership throughout the season were recurring headlines; the Aces’ win, however, was a team effort from both the starters and the bench. With Megan Gustafson and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus both on injury reserve, the Aces had to seek out to fill their roster.
Coming into the season, the bench looked completely different. The Aces had high hopes for their two rookies, Elizabeth Kitley and Aaliyah Nye. Crystal Bradford was signed to the team, along with Tiffany Mitchell. Bradford was the first player to be waived, and then the Aces brought in Joyner Holmes, who was waived at the beginning of July.
As the season progressed, the Aces struggled to stay competitive, dipping out of a playoff spot fast. At the end of June, they waived both Kitley and Mitchell to clear room for Gustafson and a new player: NaLyssa Smith.
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Smith was a critical addition to the Aces lineup. Since she joined the team, the Aces went 30-9. She also became a critical rebounder, averaging 5.3 per game, as well as 8.2 points. Smith and Kiah Stokes swapped places in the lineup, with Smith becoming a starter.
But the team’s bad outcomes reached an all-time low on Aug. 2, when the Aces suffered a 53-point loss at home to the Minnesota Lynx. Wilson sent a text to the Aces group chat after that, which changed the course of the Aces season.
“If you weren’t embarrassed from yesterday, then don’t come to this gym,” the text read. “You’re not needed or wanted here. We need the mindset to shift, because that was embarrassing.”
Since that fateful game, the Aces went on a 16-game regular season win streak, including a critical victory over the Lynx. They closed out the season with a 92-61 win against the Chicago Sky. With their late-season win streak, the Aces secured the second seed in the WNBA Playoffs, along with home-court advantage.
Their first playoff matchup against the Seattle Storm was a hard-fought battle. Against stars like Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor, the Aces were facing a true challenge. The Aces took Game 1 with a 102-77 win, and though the Storm bounced back in Game 2 with a 86-83 win, the Aces secured the series with a 74-73 victory, thanks to a particularly dominant performance by Jackie Young.
In the semifinals, the Aces were tasked with taking down the Indiana Fever. It took all five games in the series to accomplish this task, with Odyssey Sims, Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston playing critical roles in keeping their season alive.
Foul trouble cost the Aces dearly in that series, with the Aces losing Game 4 with only 11 free throws, compared to the Fever’s 34. However, they came back in Game 5, sending the game to overtime and defeating the Fever 107-98. The Aces had 22 free throws in that game; still not as many as the Fever’s 24, but a notable improvement from their Game 4 performance.
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The Finals arrived, and so did the hype. The Aces secured home-court advantage over Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury and they took Game 1 in a close 89-86 victory. The game was largely defined by Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd coming off the bench, who had 21 and 18 points respectively. In Game 2, the Aces secured the win with a 91-78 final score, buoyed by Young’s 32 points and Wilson’s 28.
Games 3 and 4 were held at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ, where the Aces ultimately secured the sweep to win their third title in four years. But it wasn’t a cakewalk.
Game 3 was all Aces until the fourth quarter. After Satou Sabally left the game with a head injury, the Mercury tied the game and nearly completed the comeback and sent the game into overtime. But their burst was stopped with 0.3 seconds left after Wilson hit a shot over both Thomas and DeWanna Bonner. The Aces’ bench erupted in cheers after Bonner missed what would’ve been the game-winning shot.
Game 4 was all Aces once again, as they dominated the Mercury with an 11-point win, a 97-86 score the final line. Wilson led with 31 points, while Young and Gray notched 18 apiece. The Aces proved to the world that despite an early season slump, they were gritty, resilient and belonged on top.
“I love being their coach, I love being their coach,” Hammon told reporters in an emotional press conference after the Game 4 win. “I love being their friend, … I love pushing them … I am invested in their greatness, in getting that out of them every day, and I know I am here too with all of them along this journey, especially this year, and this year it’s different because it was different.”
Aces fans, who are used to winning by now, have another chance to celebrate the team at an upcoming parade on Friday, October. 17. The Aces’ 2025 win showed that they are a team that’s able to persevere and win when it counts, and there’s nothing more worth celebrating.
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