A’ja Wilson’s bucket in closing seconds propel Aces to 3-0 lead in WNBA Finals

PHOENIX — A’ja Wilson’s only basket in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals Wednesday night was her biggest one yet. 

She created separation from DeWanna Bonner and rose up with Alyssa Thomas right there. 

There was never a doubt what would happen next. 

Wilson’s go-ahead shot went in with only 0.1 seconds left on the clock.

With adrenaline and excitement coursing through her body, Wilson again silenced the orange-clad crowd.

The shot felt like a death sentence to the Mercury, as the 3-0 lead in the seven-game series will likely be fatal.

The Aces moved a win away from their third title in four years with their 90-88 victory Wednesday night. 

Wilson’s dagger was a metaphor for what happened to Phoenix in this WNBA Finals series through the first three games. Bonner, who stood no chance of stopping Wilson, was a microcosm for her team.

The Mercury finally met their match. 

The Mercury needed to take down two of the league’s juggernauts to get to this point.

They beat the defending champions Liberty in three games. Then, it took only four games to slay the top-seeded Lynx, who were favored to win it all this month, in the semifinals.

But the Aces, led by Wilson, may just be too powerful, too experienced and too deep for the Mercury to conquer.

They put Phoenix’s season on life support and are eager to pull the plug Friday. 

The Mercury’s greatest problem heading into this series was how to deal with Wilson. Through 12 quarters, they still don’t have a solution.

Wilson poured in 34 points and had 14 rebounds — making her the first player to have consecutive WNBA Finals games with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds. 

It was Wilson’s ninth 30-point playoff game, the most in league history. Her 291 points in these playoffs —with at least one more game to go — is the most points in a single postseason.

The game shouldn’t have ended as close as it did.

The Aces had the Mercury right where they wanted them, with Phoenix trailing 17 points heading to the fourth.

But two of the Mercury’s only three WNBA champions, Kahleah Copper and Bonner, willed Phoenix back into the game – even after losing Satou Sabally to an apparent head injury at the 4:26 mark of the fourth.

Copper scored 11 of her 17 points in the final quarter.

Bonner had nine in the fourth and tied the game twice in the final 1:41 of regulation. 

But the Aces didn’t crack and their four-time MVP starred in the biggest moment.