A’ja Wilson stood under the bright lights of the Mortgage Matchup Center, tambourine in one hand and a Finals MVP trophy in the other, smiling as confetti fell around her. The Las Vegas Aces had just completed a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Mercury to win their third WNBA title in four years, and Wilson — equal parts fierce and joyful — was once again at the heart of it all.
Her 31-point, nine-rebound performance sealed a 97–86 win that punctuated one of the most dominant postseason runs in league history. Wilson averaged 28.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and two blocks per game in the Finals, becoming the first player in WNBA or NBA history to win the scoring title, league MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same season.
The tambourine, a bright pink gift from the team’s trainer, rattled as she shook it through the celebration — a symbol, she said later, of “the joyfulness we have right now.”
A’ja Wilson just added a 3rd WNBA Championship to her trophy collection pic.twitter.com/CQncgjLWAl
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 11, 2025
The Aces Rise Again
The 2025 season tested the Aces in ways their previous title runs had not. In early August, Las Vegas sat at a .500 win-loss record following a 53-point loss, raising doubts about whether the dynasty had peaked. But those doubts didn’t last long. The Aces, led by Wilson and head coach Becky Hammon, responded with a 16-game winning streak to close the regular season.
“It wasn’t smooth sailing,” Hammon said. “This one felt different because it was different. We had to get back to who we were, and that meant trusting the work and each other.”
By the playoffs, Las Vegas looked like its old self — disciplined, relentless, and confident. The Aces survived two grueling series before overwhelming Phoenix in the Finals, completing the first sweep in a best-of-seven series in league history. Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young combined for 36 points in the closeout game, while Jewell Loyd added key scoring off the bench.
“To be right here right now from where we were in May and June — there was a lot of doubt,” Gray said. “We trusted the process, we trusted each other, and that’s what makes this one sweeter.”
From Heartbreak to History
Wilson’s rise to dominance has been shaped by lessons in heartbreak. She led Las Vegas to its first Finals in 2020, earning her first MVP award, only to be swept in the bubble season. One year later, her chance to reach another Finals ended when Brittney Griner blocked her shot in a decisive semifinal.
“That crushed a little girl’s heart,” Wilson said. “It motivates me every single day.”
When Hammon replaced Bill Laimbeer as head coach in 2022, she saw a player on the verge of greatness. Hammon pushed Wilson to expand her game — to dominate both ends of the floor and lead with her voice.
“She doesn’t have any limitations,” Hammon said. “Her size, her skill set, her willingness to make the right play — it’s all there. I knew she could be the greatest.”
Wilson’s response became one of the most decorated four-year stretches in the history of professional sports. Between 2022 and 2025, she won three championships, four MVP awards, two Finals MVPs, and three Defensive Player of the Year honors. Her sustained excellence has made her the face of a dynasty and the model for modern greatness.
The Defining Shot
Every dynasty has its defining moment. For Wilson, it came in Game 3 of the Finals.
With the score tied and less than a second remaining, she rose over DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas, releasing a high-arcing jumper that swished through the net with 0.3 seconds on the clock.
A’ja Wilson shot with 2.2 seconds was poetic but also had the internet in a frenzy pic.twitter.com/C1vzaaNLXs
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 9, 2025
Four years earlier, Wilson’s defining moment had been a blocked shot that ended her season. Now, it was a make that secured the championship. Her 322 total points in the postseason set a WNBA record.
Hammon texted her the next morning with a familiar comparison.
“An elk among deer,” Hammon told her — a metaphor she’d used before to describe Wilson’s combination of grace and strength.
“When the circumstances demand it, she rises,” Hammon added. “That’s what separates her.”
Building a Dynasty on Both Ends
Wilson’s dominance has gone far beyond her scoring. Like Bill Russell before her, she has built a dynasty rooted in defense, leadership, and accountability. Russell’s Celtics won 11 titles in 13 seasons through discipline and control. The Aces, under Wilson’s leadership, have built their own dynasty in a similar mold — one where consistency, communication, and effort define every possession.
Both share a rare statistical parallel. Wilson and Russell are the only players in WNBA or NBA history to win at least three MVPs and three championships within a four-year window.
THE LAS VEGAS ACES ARE A DYNASTY 🏆🏆🏆#WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/P61xdrYSOl
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 11, 2025
Her influence on the Aces mirrors Russell’s on Boston. His rim protection dictated pace and culture; Wilson’s switchability and defensive presence have reshaped how WNBA teams build around interior stars. She has become the defensive backbone and emotional core of a franchise that measures itself against her standard.
“Greatness is being patient, waiting on your turn, waiting on your moment,” Wilson said. “You’ve got to be great when the lights aren’t on you. You’ve got to be great when nobody’s in the gym with you. You’ve got to be great when you may not get anything in the end. That’s what greatness is to me — doing the right things because it’s right.”
A Four-Year Run for the Ages
Wilson’s run from 2022 through 2025 now stands alongside the most dominant eras in sports history. Her control of the WNBA has drawn comparisons to the prime stretches of Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Tom Brady — three athletes who, like her, combined talent, durability, and leadership to define their eras.
Jordan’s Bulls were relentless, led by his two-way brilliance and will to win. Williams carried tennis for more than a decade, setting new standards for mental toughness and longevity. Brady mastered consistency, sustaining peak play across multiple championships. Wilson’s combination of those traits has transformed the WNBA.
“She carries herself with a focus that’s rare,” Hammon said. “You run out of adjectives. That’s why I start using animals and mountains.”
Her 2025 campaign, in particular, represents a level of command seldom seen in professional basketball. She led the league in scoring, anchored its best defense, and elevated her play when the lights were brightest. Her averages through eight seasons — 21.4 points and 9.3 rebounds — tell the statistical story, but the culture she has built in Las Vegas tells the rest.
The Partnership Behind Greatness
Since taking over in 2022, Hammon has gone 10–2 in the Finals, balancing tactical brilliance with genuine connection. Her partnership with Wilson is built on mutual trust — a relationship that has become the model for modern player-coach dynamics.
“Becky has done tremendous things for this franchise,” Wilson said. “It’s not just her basketball mind. It’s how she builds relationships. You want to win and play for her.”
Hammon often points to the league’s growth as context for what this Aces team has achieved.
“Houston laid the foundation. Minnesota showed how winning is done,” Hammon said. “These players have taken it to another level. This is the best basketball the WNBA has ever seen.”
RARE COMPANY 👑
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2025
A’ja Wilson joins Bill Russell as the only players in WNBA or NBA history to win 3 MVPs and 3 championships in a 4-season span! #WelcometotheW | WNBA Finals @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/d8jK1gCmIK
Beyond the Trophy
The Aces’ championship celebration also carried undertones of something larger. As commissioner, Cathy Engelbert presented the trophy, and fans booed, a reaction to ongoing labor negotiations and calls for increased player investment.
“When you have great players, you need to treat them like that,” Gray said. “That’s payment, treatment, revenue share — all of it. There’s no league without the players.”
Still, for one night, the focus stayed on the accomplishment. Las Vegas joined Houston, Minnesota, and Seattle as the only franchises with at least three championships. With Wilson and Young still in their primes, the Aces have a chance to become the first team since the Comets to win four.
“Good things happen to the right people,” Wilson said. “That’s what you see in this locker room today.”
Legacy in Real Time
When the noise finally faded, Wilson sat in quiet reflection. Around her, teammates danced, music blared, and the pink tambourine — now a fixture of the team’s celebration — kept time with the moment.
“This group was battle-tested,” Wilson said. “Top to bottom, we showed up every day with the mind of being great. That’s what greatness is — showing up, staying patient, and trusting the plan.”
At 29, Wilson has already transcended her sport. Her reign evokes the same qualities that defined Russell’s Celtics, Jordan’s Bulls, and Serena’s prime — a combination of excellence, longevity, and grace under pressure.
Hammon summed it up best.
“You’ve got your Mount Rushmore,” she said. “She’s sitting alone on Everest.”
Eight years into her career, Wilson has become more than the face of a franchise. She is the standard for greatness — an athlete whose dominance has made winning feel inevitable and whose joy has made it look easy.
She’s been called a gazelle, a lion, an elk. But now, she’s something beyond metaphor — simply A’ja Wilson: the greatest of her era, standing alone at the summit.
