A'ja Wilson pours in 31 as Aces complete Finals sweep of Mercury

PHOENIX -- League MVP A'ja Wilson scored 31 points and grabbed nine rebound as the Las Vegas Aces beat the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in Game 4 on Friday to sweep the WNBA Finals to win their third title in four seasons.

Jackie Young contributed 18 points and eight assists, Chelsea Gray also had 18 points, Jewell Loyd put up 12 points and Dana Evans chipped in with 10 for the Aces, who made 12 3-pointers and committed only seven turnovers.

Gray and Loyd sank four treys apiece.

Four-time league MVP Wilson made 17 of 19 free throws while locking up her second Finals MVP honor. She won her first in 2023, the second of the Aces' two straight titles. Only the Houston Comets, who won the first four league titles (1997-2000), have had a better run.

The Aces finished win 25 wins in their final 28 games after absorbing a 111-58 to the Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 2.

Mercury guard Kahleah Copper had a career playoff-high 30 points before fouling out in the final minutes. Alyssa Thomas had her 10th triple-double of the year, her second in the postseason, but the Mercury could not overcome the loss of leading scorer Satou Sabally.

Sabally, averaging 19 points a game in the postseason, missed the game after being diagnosed with a concussion when she collided with a Las Vegas player late in the Mercury's 90-88 loss in Game 3 on Wednesday.

The Mercury scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 76-70, but a 3-pointer from Gray extended the Aces' lead to 87-75 led with five minutes left. The Mercury never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

Thomas had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, though she committed nine turnovers. DeWanna Bonner had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

With 6-foot-4 Sabally out, the Mercury started 6-4 DeWanna Bonner, as expected. Bonner had 25 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench in Game 3.

Seldom-used Mercury big Kalani Brown, 6-foot-7, also saw time after starter Natasha Mack picked up her second foul two minutes into the game. Brown played only four late-game minutes in the previous three games.

Wilson scored 12 points to help the Aces hold a 30-21 lead after the first quarter. The Mercury alternated three defenders on her, including Brown.

Evans made two 3-pointers and Loyd and Gray sank one apiece in the first three minutes of the second quarter as the Aces stretched their lead to 42-23, their largest margin of the half.

The Aces made 9 of 17 3-point attempts before the break, tying the Finals record for a half that they set in Game 3, they took a 54-38 lead into the locker room. Las Vegas had 13 assists and one turnover at halftime, when the Mercury had nine turnovers.

Thomas, who has a history of shoulder injuries, appeared to sustain a right shoulder injury when she ran into a Loyd screen with 9.2 seconds remaining in the half. She went directly to the locker room and started the second half with the shoulder taped.

Copper's three-point play brought the Mercury within 66-54 with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected with 2:41 remaining in third after arguing a foul called against Monique Akoa Makani. The ensuing free throws gave the Aces a 71-54 lead, and Las Vegas was ahead 76-62 heading to the fourth quarter.

--Jack Magruder, Field Level Media