The Crown Fits: How the Las Vegas Aces Forged a Modern WNBA Dynasty

There is a moment when a very good team becomes something more—when wins become legends and players become icons. For the Las Vegas Aces, that moment arrived on a Friday night in Phoenix. With a 97-86 victory that completed a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Mercury, the Aces did not just win a championship. They cemented their place as a modern dynasty, capturing their third WNBA title in four years.

In a season that began with uncertainty and a middling record, the Aces engineered a stunning turnaround, finishing the year on a 25-3 run that left no doubt about their greatness. They are now the seventh franchise in league history to win at least three championships, standing alongside legends like the Houston Comets and Minnesota Lynx. For a team, a city, and a superstar in A’ja Wilson, the victory was a declaration of permanence in a league that is growing more competitive by the year.

The Decisive Victory

From the opening tip of Game 4, the Aces played with the confidence of a team that knew the crown was theirs. They never trailed, building a 30-21 lead in the first quarter alone. The offense was a machine, scoring 54 points by halftime and ultimately averaging over 90 points per game throughout the Finals series.

The Mercury, valiant but overmatched, made a final push in the fourth quarter, cutting a 20-point lead down to just six . But just as she had all season, A’ja Wilson would not be denied. She scored 31 points, battling through constant double-teams to control the game. When Phoenix threatened, Chelsea Gray hit back-to-back three-pointers to halt their momentum, finishing with 18 points.

Phoenix’s effort was hampered by adversity. Their head coach, Nate Tibbetts, was ejected in the third quarter after a heated exchange with officials, a moment he later called “one of the weakest double technicals” he’d ever seen. The Mercury were also without key player Satou Sabally due to a concussion, and star Alyssa Thomas played through a shoulder injury.

A Season of Adversity Forged a Champion

This championship, perhaps the most hard-fought of the Aces’ three, was forged in the fires of a difficult season. In early August, the team’s prospects looked bleak. They held a mediocre 14-14 record and were coming off a historic, 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx—a defeat that could have shattered a lesser team’s spirit.

Instead, it became the turning point.

“This team has been through hell and back,” an emotional Chelsea Gray told ESPN after the clinching game. “What a run!”. The Aces responded to that low point by winning their final 16 regular-season games, a stunning reversal of fortune that propelled them into the playoffs with undeniable momentum.

The playoffs tested them further. They needed a last-second putback from Jackie Young to survive a tough first-round series against the Seattle Storm, and an overtime victory to advance past the Indiana Fever in the semifinals. Unlike their previous dominant Finals appearances, this year’s sweep belied the tough journey it took to get there.

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The Unstoppable Force of A’ja Wilson

At the heart of this dynasty stands A’ja Wilson, who authored what may be the single greatest individual season in professional basketball history in 2025. The 29-year-old forward completed an unprecedented awards sweep, capturing the WNBA scoring title, the regular-season Most Valuable Player award (her record-breaking fourth), the Defensive Player of the Year award, and the Finals MVP honor.

No player in NBA or WNBA history has ever won all four of those accolades in the same season . Her coach, Becky Hammon, summed up Wilson’s dominance with a vivid comparison: “You have your Mount Rushmore, she’s alone on Everest. There’s no one around”.

Wilson’s performance in the title-clinching game, battling through multiple Phoenix defenders, was a testament to her will. Even on a night where her shooting was off, she found a way to score, making 17 of her 19 free throws.

A Celebration and the Shadows Ahead

As the final buzzer sounded, the Aces’ celebration was one of both joy and relief. Wilson arrived at the postgame press conference wearing giant ski goggles and shaking a pink tambourine, calling it a “symbol of the joyfulness we have right now”.

Yet, even in victory, shadows of uncertainty loom. The Aces’ dynasty faces an immediate test, as a majority of the team’s players, like most in the league, are free agents this offseason. The WNBA is also heading into critical collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, with an October 31 deadline. The tense atmosphere was palpable as WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was loudly booed by fans while presenting the championship trophy, reflecting player and fan frustration with the league’s leadership.

The Aces have solidified their place among the greatest teams the game has ever seen. The following table shows how they compare to the other legendary dynasties in WNBA history:

As Jackie Young, a key member of all three title teams, stated, “Vegas is the standard. We’re here for a reason”. For now, the Aces stand atop the basketball world. The question is no longer if they are a dynasty, but how long their reign will last, and what they had to overcome to claim their throne.

Author: Yasir Khan
Date: 11 Oct, 2025

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