Michael VoepelOct 10, 2025, 10:39 PM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in a dominant performance Friday night to win their third WNBA championship four years and cement their status as the league’s reigning dynasty.The Aces completed a 4-0 sweep of the Mercury in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in league history.Aces superstar and league MVP A’ja Wilson led the way in Game 4, finishing with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks en route to earning Finals MVP honors. She said ahead of the clincher she thinks Las Vegas can set the bar even higher.”That’s a good steppingstone to a dynasty-type of feel,” Wilson said. “Obviously, you want to win more to really solidify it. But this is something you can never take away from us.”The Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 as the No. 1 seed after having the best record in the league. This season, they were .500 on Aug. 2 following a 53-point loss.But through a subsequent 16-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Aces secured the No. 2 seed and weathered challenging first-round and semifinals series that went the distance, before putting together a dominant Finals run that solidified their super-elite status.”This team has been through hell and back,” said an emotional Chelsea Gray. “Everyone stepped up … we got the best player in the world in A’ja Wilson … we champions.”
Michael VoepelOct 10, 2025, 10:39 PM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on X
Michael VoepelOct 10, 2025, 10:39 PM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in a dominant performance Friday night to win their third WNBA championship four years and cement their status as the league’s reigning dynasty.The Aces completed a 4-0 sweep of the Mercury in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in league history.Aces superstar and league MVP A’ja Wilson led the way in Game 4, finishing with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks en route to earning Finals MVP honors. She said ahead of the clincher she thinks Las Vegas can set the bar even higher.”That’s a good steppingstone to a dynasty-type of feel,” Wilson said. “Obviously, you want to win more to really solidify it. But this is something you can never take away from us.”The Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 as the No. 1 seed after having the best record in the league. This season, they were .500 on Aug. 2 following a 53-point loss.But through a subsequent 16-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Aces secured the No. 2 seed and weathered challenging first-round and semifinals series that went the distance, before putting together a dominant Finals run that solidified their super-elite status.”This team has been through hell and back,” said an emotional Chelsea Gray. “Everyone stepped up … we got the best player in the world in A’ja Wilson … we champions.”
Michael VoepelOct 10, 2025, 10:39 PM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in a dominant performance Friday night to win their third WNBA championship four years and cement their status as the league’s reigning dynasty.The Aces completed a 4-0 sweep of the Mercury in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in league history.Aces superstar and league MVP A’ja Wilson led the way in Game 4, finishing with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks en route to earning Finals MVP honors. She said ahead of the clincher she thinks Las Vegas can set the bar even higher.”That’s a good steppingstone to a dynasty-type of feel,” Wilson said. “Obviously, you want to win more to really solidify it. But this is something you can never take away from us.”The Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 as the No. 1 seed after having the best record in the league. This season, they were .500 on Aug. 2 following a 53-point loss.But through a subsequent 16-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Aces secured the No. 2 seed and weathered challenging first-round and semifinals series that went the distance, before putting together a dominant Finals run that solidified their super-elite status.”This team has been through hell and back,” said an emotional Chelsea Gray. “Everyone stepped up … we got the best player in the world in A’ja Wilson … we champions.”
Michael VoepelOct 10, 2025, 10:39 PM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in a dominant performance Friday night to win their third WNBA championship four years and cement their status as the league’s reigning dynasty.The Aces completed a 4-0 sweep of the Mercury in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in league history.Aces superstar and league MVP A’ja Wilson led the way in Game 4, finishing with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks en route to earning Finals MVP honors. She said ahead of the clincher she thinks Las Vegas can set the bar even higher.”That’s a good steppingstone to a dynasty-type of feel,” Wilson said. “Obviously, you want to win more to really solidify it. But this is something you can never take away from us.”The Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 as the No. 1 seed after having the best record in the league. This season, they were .500 on Aug. 2 following a 53-point loss.But through a subsequent 16-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Aces secured the No. 2 seed and weathered challenging first-round and semifinals series that went the distance, before putting together a dominant Finals run that solidified their super-elite status.”This team has been through hell and back,” said an emotional Chelsea Gray. “Everyone stepped up … we got the best player in the world in A’ja Wilson … we champions.”
Michael VoepelOct 10, 2025, 10:39 PM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in a dominant performance Friday night to win their third WNBA championship four years and cement their status as the league’s reigning dynasty.The Aces completed a 4-0 sweep of the Mercury in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in league history.Aces superstar and league MVP A’ja Wilson led the way in Game 4, finishing with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks en route to earning Finals MVP honors. She said ahead of the clincher she thinks Las Vegas can set the bar even higher.”That’s a good steppingstone to a dynasty-type of feel,” Wilson said. “Obviously, you want to win more to really solidify it. But this is something you can never take away from us.”The Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 as the No. 1 seed after having the best record in the league. This season, they were .500 on Aug. 2 following a 53-point loss.But through a subsequent 16-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Aces secured the No. 2 seed and weathered challenging first-round and semifinals series that went the distance, before putting together a dominant Finals run that solidified their super-elite status.”This team has been through hell and back,” said an emotional Chelsea Gray. “Everyone stepped up … we got the best player in the world in A’ja Wilson … we champions.”
Michael VoepelOct 10, 2025, 10:39 PM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in a dominant performance Friday night to win their third WNBA championship four years and cement their status as the league’s reigning dynasty.The Aces completed a 4-0 sweep of the Mercury in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in league history.Aces superstar and league MVP A’ja Wilson led the way in Game 4, finishing with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks en route to earning Finals MVP honors. She said ahead of the clincher she thinks Las Vegas can set the bar even higher.”That’s a good steppingstone to a dynasty-type of feel,” Wilson said. “Obviously, you want to win more to really solidify it. But this is something you can never take away from us.”The Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 as the No. 1 seed after having the best record in the league. This season, they were .500 on Aug. 2 following a 53-point loss.But through a subsequent 16-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Aces secured the No. 2 seed and weathered challenging first-round and semifinals series that went the distance, before putting together a dominant Finals run that solidified their super-elite status.”This team has been through hell and back,” said an emotional Chelsea Gray. “Everyone stepped up … we got the best player in the world in A’ja Wilson … we champions.”