A’Ja Wilson has added another WNBA title to her Hall-of-Fame resume as the Las Vegas Aces completed a Finals sweep of the Phoenix Mercury with Friday’s 97-86 Game 4 win.
The 4-0 series victory notwithstanding, Friday wasn’t a cakewalk for Las Vegas. The Aces secured the win only after Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts’s stunning second-quarter ejection sparked a late run for Phoenix that cut Las Vegas’ 20-point lead down to just six.
Tibbetts – a second-year coach – was arguing a foul call against Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani when he got in the face of referee Gina Cross, who almost immediately called two quick technicals. Tibbetts reacted in disbelief before being escorted from the court.
‘I think the refs aren’t doing a good job tonight, I’m sorry,’ Mercury star Kahleah Copper told ESPN in an on-court interview after the third period. ‘But weve just got to keep our heads.’
It’s not the first time WNBA officials have been at the center of controversy during this postseason. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected in Game 3 of the semifinals against Phoenix when she argued after star player Napheesa Collier got hurt in the final minute. Reeve was suspended for Game 4, in which the Lynx were eliminated by the Mercury.
Now a three-time league champion, Wilson added her second WNBA Finals MVP award with a historic postseason performance that included a buzzer-beating turnaround jumper to beat the Mercury in Game 3.
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) reacts after scoring against the Phoenix Mercury
Head coach Nate Tibbetts of the Phoenix Mercury speaks with referee Gina Cross in the third quarter against the Las Vegas Aces. He would ultimately be ejected from the game
The Aces were one of the best teams in the WNBA all season, earning the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with a 30-14 record, but they looked surprisingly vulnerable early in the postseason. They dropped a game to Seattle in the opening round and needed the full five games to squeeze past the Indiana Fever in the semifinals, prevailing in overtime for a 107-98 win in the decisive Game 5.
In the finals, though, the Aces were unstoppable.
Wilson — a four-time MVP who is already one of the league’s all-time greats — continued to add to her legacy on Wednesday night with a 34-point, 14-rebound performance that helped the Aces navigate a hostile road environment and shake off a late Mercury rally.
Wilson has already set a WNBA record with 291 postseason points through 11 games and is averaging 26.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. The 29-year-old is still at the peak of her basketball powers, using her 6-foot-4 frame and soft touch around the basket to score in bunches.
