The Las Vegas Aces stormed to a 91-78 win over the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals on Sunday, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

While the Aces’ Game 1 win was a narrow comeback victory, Game 2 was a romp, with Las Vegas going up by as many as 22 points.

Head coach Becky Hammon couldn’t hold back her admiration afterward. “Jackie’s growth as a player has been unbelievable,” Hammon said postgame. “She knows when to take over, and tonight she did it with the confidence of a champion. That’s what leadership looks like.”

For Young, it was another example of her evolution into one of the league’s most complete stars. The 2022 Most Improved Player and 2023 All-Star has continued to elevate her game, complementing A’ja Wilson’s dominance with composure and shot-making that few defenders can contain. “I just wanted to be aggressive,” Young told reporters. “In the Finals, you can’t wait for the moment — you have to take it.”

Wilson, meanwhile, once again set the tone on both ends of the floor. The reigning MVP poured in 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks, anchoring the Aces’ defense and frustrating Phoenix’s interior offense all night. When Griner tried to post up late in the fourth quarter, Wilson swatted her shot into the stands — a moment that seemed to symbolize the Aces’ unrelenting hold on the series.

The Aces pulled away in the second half with Jackie Young scoring a WNBA Finals-record 21 points in the third quarter and A’ja Wilson totaling 20 points in the half.

Young’s third-quarter performance — which included a series of tough layups and 3-pointers — was the Finals record for most points in a quarter and tied the Aces’ franchise record for most points in a quarter in any game.

Phoenix pushed back in the fourth quarter, narrowing Las Vegas’ lead slightly, before both teams emptied the bench to give their starters a bit of a rest with the Aces up by double digits.

Young ended with 32 points and added eight rebounds, while Wilson put up a 28-point, 14-rebound double-double.

Kahleah Copper and Satou Sabally led Phoenix in scoring with 23 and 22 points, respectively. Alyssa Thomas was held to 10 points, and had 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

The Mercury now find themselves in a tough 0-2 hole as the teams head to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4 of the seven-game series.

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Melton, who signed with Golden State last week, likely will miss the early portion of the 2025-26 NBA season as he continues his recovery after undergoing surgery last December.

Stanford Medicine’s Amy Ladd, M.D., spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area more in-depth about Melton’s injury and why he could be experiencing a delay in his recovery.

“ACLs are tricky,” Dr. Ladd said. “The rehab can be dense, it can be difficult or it can be straightforward. I don’t know the details of the surgery he had, but the rehab is critical to recovery. So even if the surgery went perfectly, the rehab means all the demands of a basketball player: cutting, jumping, pressure, agility.

“So it may be something as subtle as his training or his cadence is just off, or it could be more serious. But I would assume for now that it’s just a delay in the rehab.”

Dr. Ladd anticipates that Melton, about 10 months into his rehab, is at the stage where he’s doing return-to-activity drills, such as cutting, dodging and jumping that test his balance, position in space and reaction.

While the rehab process can be complex, Dr. Ladd revealed that the final thing to check off before Melton can be cleared to return to the hardwood is actually quite simple.

So what is it?

The Las Vegas Aces have taken commanding control of the 2025 WNBA Finals, stunning the Phoenix Mercury in Game 2 with a dazzling display of poise, power, and precision — led by a jaw-dropping third-quarter explosion from Jackie Young. With the Aces now holding a 2-0 series lead, the defending champions are one victory away from cementing their dynasty — and Young’s magical performance may have just written another unforgettable chapter in WNBA history.

From the opening tip, the energy inside Michelob ULTRA Arena was electric. The Mercury, desperate to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole, came out swinging. Brittney Griner dominated early in the paint, while Kahleah Copper attacked relentlessly off the dribble, helping Phoenix grab a narrow lead through much of the first half. But even as the Mercury found early rhythm, there was a calm focus on the Aces’ sideline — a familiar sense that something special was coming.

And then came Jackie Young’s third-quarter masterpiece.

After scoring just seven points in the first half, Young erupted for 17 in the third, single-handedly flipping the game’s momentum. She was everywhere — slicing through defenders, draining step-back jumpers, finishing through contact, and even dishing out assists that had the crowd roaring. In one breathtaking sequence, she hit a contested three, immediately stole the inbound pass, and converted a tough layup — forcing a Mercury timeout as the arena erupted into chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!”

By the time the quarter ended, Las Vegas had turned a four-point deficit into a double-digit lead, and Phoenix never fully recovered.

For the Mercury, Game 2 was a story of missed opportunities and mounting frustration. Despite strong play from Copper and a 20-point outing from Diana Taurasi, Phoenix’s offensive rhythm unraveled under Las Vegas’s defensive pressure. The Aces forced 17 turnovers, converting them into 23 points, a stat that told the story of the night.

After the game, Mercury coach Nikki Blue was candid about the team’s struggles. “We’re making it too easy for them to get into transition,” she said. “You can’t beat Las Vegas by letting them control the tempo. We need to regroup — fast.”

The loss leaves Phoenix in a dire position as the series shifts back home for Game 3. No team in WNBA history has ever come back from a 0-2 deficit in the Finals, but the Mercury insist they’re not finished yet. “We’ve been counted out before,” said Copper. “This team fights. That’s who we are.”

Still, the Aces look every bit the powerhouse that dominated the regular season. Their ball movement remains crisp, their defense suffocating, and their chemistry seamless. Role players like Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray continue to provide steady veteran leadership, with Plum adding 16 points and Gray orchestrating the offense with her trademark calm and vision.

Perhaps most striking is how much this Las Vegas team seems to thrive on the moment. While the Mercury scrambled to find answers, the Aces played like a team utterly unbothered by pressure — a reflection of their championship pedigree and the unbreakable bond they’ve built under Hammon’s leadership.

Fans and analysts alike couldn’t help but marvel at the spectacle. “Jackie Young just had one of the best Finals quarters I’ve seen in years,” ESPN analyst Monica McNutt said during postgame coverage. “That wasn’t just skill — that was pure confidence. She took over the game.”

Social media lit up in response. “Jackie Young is HIM,” one fan tweeted. Another wrote, “This Aces team is terrifying. You stop A’ja, Jackie burns you. You double Jackie, Plum kills you. Pick your poison.”

Even WNBA legends were watching in awe. Sue Bird posted on Instagram, “Jackie Young has arrived. This is her Finals now.”

Heading into Game 3, all eyes turn to Phoenix, where the Mercury face a do-or-die scenario. If they want to keep their championship hopes alive, they’ll need to find a way to slow down Young and Wilson — a task easier said than done. The Aces, meanwhile, have history within reach: a third consecutive title, an achievement that would officially place them among the greatest dynasties in league history.

As the final buzzer sounded in Game 2, the Aces huddled at center court, smiling but focused — a team that knows the job isn’t done yet. “We respect Phoenix,” Wilson said afterward. “They’re going to come out swinging. But we’re locked in. This is what we’ve worked for all season.”

If Game 2 was any indication, the Aces are not just chasing another title — they’re defining an era. And as Jackie Young walked off the court, surrounded by cheers and flashing lights, one thing was clear: this was her night — and perhaps the moment that secured Las Vegas’s place as the WNBA’s true powerhouse.

“That you’re not thinking about your injury,” Dr. Ladd said. “You are not second-guessing yourself. That practice, play flow is without thinking about it.”

Once Melton reaches that point, he should be given the green light to pick up where he left off last year before the injury and ultimately being traded to the Brooklyn Nets.