It’s wild to think that when Becky Hammon joined the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, the head coaching job wasn’t even supposed to be open. The Aces were riding high under Bill Laimbeer, who had just led the team to a 24-8 season and a spot in the semifinals, not to mention a trip to the Finals in 2020. Still, management felt it was time for a change. Hammon, of course, had always been NBA head coach-bound in the eyes of many. She’d interviewed with the Trail Blazers, Bucks, and Magic, and most expected her path to continue on the men’s side of the game rather than in the WNBA. Yet somehow, the stars aligned. And, Hammon enjoyed considerable success by building the team around A’ja Wilson as her centerpiece.

In her first two seasons at the helm, Becky Hammon already guided A’ja Wilson and the Aces to back-to-back championships. She became the first coach in WNBA history to win a title in her debut season. Now, as Hammon leads her team to their third Finals appearance in four seasons, there’s one record that had eluded her… until now.

Winning a championship for the franchise where you spent eight years as a player (the San Antonio Stars were renamed as the Las Vegas Aces in 2018) is always special. But for Hammon, there was one Finals milestone that had always slipped through her fingers: a Game 3 victory. In both 2022 and 2023, the Aces captured the title 3-1, yet somehow stumbled in Game 3 against the Sun and Liberty. This time, A’ja Wilson and co were determined not to let history repeat itself against the Mercury.

Wilson was asked by a reporter about the thought process behind the finals format change, which now required the Aces to win an additional game. If this were last year, they’d have already won the championship. She replied, “I mean, under Becky Hammon, we’ve never won a Game 3. So, this was like… a must-win for us just for that sake. I feel like my biggest mentality, and the things that I relay to my teammates, is just like—we just need to win one. Just win one. We don’t really look at it too big or think about being two series up or whatever. We’re just like—win one game, win one possession, win the quarters, and then everything else is going to pan out.”

It was another A’ja Wilson masterclass as she made history, becoming the first player in WNBA Finals history to record consecutive games with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds. She finished the night with 34 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks, including the buzzer-beater that sealed the Aces’ victory.

“Those are the moments that you live for, so I’m glad I was able to show up,” Wilson said, reflecting on her clutch performance. Even after seeing her team’s 17-point lead vanish in the fourth quarter, she calmly drove left from the elbow, turned, and launched a short jumper over the outstretched arms of Alyssa Thomas in the final seconds to secure the win for the Aces. It’s a perfect example of her relentless mentality and killer instinct to play to win.

One more win and the Las Vegas Aces will etch their name into WNBA history as the league’s third true dynasty. The first dynasty came from the Houston Comets, who dominated the WNBA’s opening years with four consecutive titles. Then came the Minnesota Lynx, led by Maya Moore, who claimed four championships in eight seasons from 2011 to 2017. Now, the Aces are on the verge of joining that elite company. One more victory, and they’ll secure their third title in just four seasons. One more win and it’ll be the moment their legacy begins to be carved in the annals of WNBA legends.

But it wasn’t just an A’ja Wilson show…she had plenty of help from her teammates too!

A’ja Wilson Gets the Help She Needs to Secure Hammon’s Elusive Record

The night belonged to A’ja Wilson, but every superhero needs a Robin. Jackie Young played that role to perfection, chipping in 21 points and 9 assists. Between them, the dynamic duo scored or assisted on 72 points, tying for the fifth-most by a pair in WNBA Finals history.

It wasn’t just Jackie Young supporting A’ja Wilson; Jewell Loyd reminded the Mercury’s rowdy home crowd that their usual noise wouldn’t rattle this Aces team. She became the first player in WNBA Finals history to hit four three-pointers in the opening quarter, finishing the quarter with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from deep.

“I had a front-row seat to a sweep in the bubble (against) Jewell with gold Kobes on,” Wilson recalled of Las Vegas’ 2020 Finals loss to Seattle. “I’m glad she’s got on A’Ones now, though. To be able to play alongside Jewell and to see her work, it’s truly magical what she does. Her footwork. Her work ethic. … Sometimes my jaw is dropped because I’m like, ‘That’s that damn Jewell Loyd.’ Her record in the finals, it shows the work that she’s put in.” Now, Loyd is 9-0 in WNBA Finals games, and that winning pedigree is exactly why the Aces made the trade to bring her.

The Aces are just one win away from their third championship. While they would have loved to clinch it in front of their home crowd, the next game will take place in Phoenix. Can they complete the sweep, or will the Mercury manage to salvage a game and keep their hopes alive? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!