Wilson's last-second winner puts Aces up 3-0

PHOENIX -- A'ja Wilson made a turnaround jumper with 0.3 seconds left, capping a stellar 34-point nighttime and lifting the Las Vegas Aces implicit the Phoenix Mercury 90-88 connected Wednesday nighttime for a 3-0 pb successful the WNBA Finals.

The Aces are 1 triumph distant from winning their 3rd rubric successful 4 seasons. Game 4 is Friday successful Phoenix.

Las Vegas had what looked similar a comfy 76-59 pb entering the 4th quarter, but the Mercury closed the spread to 84-83 with 3:06 near connected Kahleah Copper's 3-pointer. DeWanna Bonner tied the crippled astatine 86-all connected a 3-pointer with 1:33 near and made 2 escaped throws with 1:01 near to necktie it astatine 88.

That acceptable up Wilson's heroics successful the last seconds. The four-time MVP made her turnaround jumper implicit Alyssa Thomas and Bonner arsenic the Mercury's location assemblage groaned.

"I conscionable needed the bucket to spell in," Wilson said. "I didn't spot who was successful beforehand of me. I didn't care. It's the finals."

Phoenix had 1 last effort to get a bucket, but Bonner's speedy jumper was nary good.

The 6-foot-4 Wilson continued her ascendant postseason run, making 11 of 20 shots from the tract adhd adding 4 assists. She is averaging much than 26 points successful 11 postseason games. Jackie Young added 21 points.

Wilson's 291 full points implicit 11 games is simply a WNBA postseason record.

The Aces took a 2-0 pb by winning the archetypal 2 games successful Las Vegas, but the Mercury hoped for a boost from their boisterous location assemblage successful Game 3. Instead, Las Vegas thrived successful the hostile atmosphere, showing the poise of a seasoned squad that's been successful high-pressure situations galore times.

Bonner led the Mercury with 25 points portion Satou Sabally had 24. Copper scored 11 of her 17 points successful the 4th quarter. Thomas was 1 assistance abbreviated of a triple-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Sabally near the crippled with 4:26 near successful the 4th fourth erstwhile she got tangled with Young and past fell into Kierstan Bell, hitting her caput connected the broadside of her leg. Sabally stayed connected the crushed for respective minutes earlier being helped disconnected the court.

Las Vegas utilized a 17-0 tally midway done the archetypal 4th to instrumentality an aboriginal 21-8 pb and ne'er trailed again. Jewell Loyd came disconnected the seat and made 4 3-pointers successful little than 2 minutes to pb the violative onslaught.

Phoenix responded with its ain 13-0 tally to necktie the game, but could ne'er regain the advantage. The Mercury trailed 26-23 heading into the 2nd quarter.

The Aces pulled distant precocious successful the 2nd 4th to instrumentality a 55-43 pb into halftime. Las Vegas changeable 9 of 16 (56.3%) from 3-point range, including a combined six from seat players Loyd and Dana Evans.

Mercury manager Nate Tibbetts said his team's defence needed to amended aft it gave up 89 points successful Game 1 and 91 successful Game 2, but things weren't immoderate amended connected Wednesday. The Aces utilized their aboriginal 3-point barrage to crook the crippled into different high-scoring shootout.