PHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces are in position to make short work of the WNBA’s expanded playoff schedule.

That hunger has defined this Aces dynasty. After back-to-back championships, most teams might have relaxed, basked in their glory, or lost that killer instinct. Not Las Vegas. This group has turned pressure into fuel. Wilson, Young, and Plum have all elevated their games, with Chelsea Gray returning from injury to provide the calm veteran leadership that steadies the storm. Off the bench, Alysha Clark and Kierstan Bell have brought defensive intensity and hustle plays that swing momentum every time they step on the floor.

The result? A team that looks not just unbeatable — but untouchable.

Social media is ablaze with reactions. Fans are calling this the “Aces Era,” and even critics admit that what we’re witnessing is a level of dominance rarely seen in professional sports. One viral post summed it up perfectly: “This isn’t the Finals. This is the Las Vegas Invitational.”

Even WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert couldn’t help but acknowledge the spectacle. “What the Aces are doing right now is extraordinary,” she said courtside. “They’re setting the bar higher for everyone — and that’s what dynasties do.”

A’ja Wilson’s turnaround jumper with three-tenths of a second remaining on the game clock lifted the second-seeded Aces over the fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury for a thrilling 90-88 win Wednesday night. It also gave Las Vegas a 3-0 lead in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in the history of the league, which dates to 1997.

In the previous best-of-five format, the Aces would already be celebrating their third championship in four seasons.

In 2025, there’s more work to do. Game 4 is Friday night in Phoenix.

“We don’t look at it too big,” said Wilson, whose WNBA MVP honor this year was the fourth of her eight-year career. “We just win one game, win one possession, win one quarter, and then everything will pan out.”

The Aces rode a 16-game winning streak at the end of the regular season to post a 30-14 record and finish behind only the Minnesota Lynx in the final standings, but they looked surprisingly vulnerable early in the postseason. They dropped a game to the seventh-seeded Seattle Storm in a best-of-three series in the first round, then needed the full five games to squeeze past the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever in the semifinals, prevailing in overtime for a 107-98 win in the decisive contest.

In the title round, the Aces have looked nearly unstoppable.

Wilson continued to add to her legacy Wednesday night with a 34-point, 14-rebound performance that helped the Aces navigate a hostile road environment and shake off a late rally by the Mercury.

Wilson has already set a WNBA record with 291 postseason points through 11 games and has averaged 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.

“I always have to credit my teammates, because they give me the basketball in the right space at the right time,” Wilson said. “Like Jewell (Loyd) said, ‘The ball has energy.’ Players understand, there’s something different where you get a pass and it’s like, ‘This is a pass to score the basketball.’”

Wilson’s presence was more important than ever in the closing moments of Game 3.

The Aces had coughed up a 76-59 lead entering the fourth quarter and the game was tied at 88 with five seconds left. Las Vegas had the ball and the daunting task of trying to close the game against a desperate opponent that had a raucous home crowd on its side.

Aces fourth-year head coach Becky Hammon didn’t need to consult her playbook for the right call.

Just throw it to A’ja. Boom. Game over.

“These are the moments that you dream of, the times you see on TV, you’re watching and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, to be in that building,’” Wilson said.

The Mercury will try to shake off the tough loss and force Game 5, which would send the series back to Las Vegas for a Sunday meeting. Friday in Phoenix, the Mercury will be without star forward Satou Sabally, the team’s leading scorer this year in both the regular season (16.3 points per game) and the playoffs (19.0), after she sustained a concussion late in Wednesday’s game after tallying 24 points.

DeWanna Bonner led the Mercury with 25 points in Game 3, while Alyssa Thomas was one assist short of a triple double, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

“This group has been a group that continues to compete at a high level,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. “We’re going to expect that in front of our fans. We’ve got a certain level of pride.”

The Chicago Sky star announced via Instagram that she will be walking in the “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” next week. It will be the first time a professional athlete will walk the runway in the show.

“Stepping into a dream: From Angel to a Victoria Secret ANGEL,” the 23-year-old Reese posted on Instagram. “I’m finally getting my wings I’ll be walking the Victoria’s Secret 2025 runway show for the first time, and it feels like destiny. Wings on, heels ready…Catch me on the runway.”

The retailer posted a video on Instagram of the announcement showing the WNBA player in a pink robe, black lingerie and white feather wings.

“Angel Reese, welcome to the runway. The first professional athlete angel…major is an understatement,” the post reads.

The lingerie show began in 2001 and took place annually for nearly two decades. Victoria’s Secret canceled the show in 2019 but brought it back last year, with Reese attending.

This year’s show is set for 7 p.m. next Wednesday and will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video as well as via Victoria Secret’s official accounts on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Reese, a 6-3 power forward, is a two-time WNBA All-Star and two-time league leader in rebounds after being selected by the Sky with the No. 7 pick of the 2024 draft. She was a three-time AP All-American during a collegiate career that began with two seasons at Maryland in her home state before finishing up at LSU, where she helped the Tigers win the 2023 NCAA Division I tournament title as a junior.

The Las Vegas Aces are rewriting basketball history — and doing it with the kind of ruthless dominance that has the entire WNBA in disbelief. After steamrolling the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3, the defending champions have taken a commanding 3–0 lead in the Finals, one win away from completing one of the most lopsided title runs the league has ever seen. What was supposed to be a hard-fought showdown between two powerhouse teams has turned into something else entirely — a complete takeover.

From the opening tip of this series, the Aces have played like a team possessed. Every possession, every rotation, every defensive stand feels like a statement. MVP A’ja Wilson has been the unstoppable engine driving Las Vegas’s march to immortality, posting monstrous double-doubles while leading her squad with a mix of poise, grit, and sheer will. After Game 3’s blowout victory, Wilson said it plainly: “We’re not here to play nice basketball. We’re here to make history.”

And make history they are. No team in recent memory has crushed its Finals opponent this thoroughly. The Aces aren’t just winning — they’re humiliating. Game 3 ended in a 27-point avalanche, with the Mercury visibly demoralized and the Vegas bench practically celebrating midway through the fourth quarter. It was pure, unapologetic dominance, and the numbers tell the story.

Wilson poured in 31 points and 15 rebounds, Jackie Young added 26 in yet another masterclass of aggression and efficiency, and Kelsey Plum played the role of floor general to perfection — pushing the tempo, carving up the defense, and setting up her teammates like a maestro conducting chaos. Every time Phoenix made a push, Vegas responded with a dagger three or a thunderous defensive stand. By the time the fourth quarter hit, even the commentators were saying it out loud: “This isn’t a series. It’s a statement.”

The Mercury, for all their talent and experience, look shell-shocked. Diana Taurasi, in what may be her final Finals appearance, has struggled to find rhythm under relentless defensive pressure. Brittney Griner has battled foul trouble and frustration, visibly shaking her head on the bench after yet another Vegas run. And while Kahleah Copper has fought valiantly, even she admitted postgame, “They’re on another level right now. You can feel it.”

Indeed, the Aces’ chemistry, depth, and confidence are unmatched. Head coach Becky Hammon has them playing the kind of cohesive, high-octane basketball that feels inevitable. Every player knows their role, and every rotation seems to click with mechanical precision. But what’s most terrifying for opponents is that Las Vegas isn’t just beating teams — they’re breaking them.

“They don’t just win — they erase hope,” said ESPN’s Andraya Carter after the game. “They make great teams look ordinary. You can see it in the Mercury’s body language — they’ve never faced a juggernaut like this.”

Hammon, though, isn’t letting her team get ahead of themselves. “We’ve got one more job to do,” she said after the win. “The series isn’t over until it’s over. But yeah, I love how we’re competing. We’re hungry. And the best part? We’re still getting better.”

Still, not everyone is celebrating. Some analysts argue that the Aces’ overwhelming power exposes a growing competitive imbalance in the league. “It’s great for Vegas, but not great for parity,” one insider commented. “If every Finals ends like this, fans might start tuning out.” But for most basketball purists, the Aces’ brilliance is something to be admired, not criticized. Greatness, after all, is supposed to look effortless — and that’s exactly what this team has made it seem.

Jackie Young, who has emerged as one of the breakout stars of this postseason, downplayed the talk of dominance. “We just play hard, man,” she said with a smile. “We trust each other, we share the ball, and we take pride in defense. That’s it. That’s the formula.”

Simple — but devastatingly effective.

Now, the Aces stand just one game away from achieving something historic: a three-peat, an achievement that would cement their status as one of the greatest dynasties in basketball — men’s or women’s. If they close out the series in Game 4, they’ll become the first WNBA team in over two decades to win three consecutive titles, and the first to do it in such commanding, wire-to-wire fashion.

For A’ja Wilson, it’s personal. After narrowly missing out on the regular-season MVP award, she’s playing like a woman possessed — and making sure everyone remembers who runs this league. “I don’t need a trophy to validate me,” she said earlier in the playoffs. “My game speaks for itself.” And right now, it’s screaming.

The Aces have turned the Finals into a showcase of dominance — not just of skill, but of culture, preparation, and relentless focus. They are rewriting the rules of what it means to compete, to lead, and to win.