“It was just a really great time for our bench to come up and have a big game because I think you saw a little bit of fatigue from Jackie and A’ja, who kind of carried us through that last Game 5.” Those were the words of coach Becky Hammon after the Aces’ 89-86 win over the Mercury in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Las Vegas successfully defended its home court, but this wasn’t another Jackie Young–A’ja Wilson special.

A lot has been said about A’ja Wilson, and rightfully so. She has been at the heart of everything good for the Las Vegas Aces this season. The path to the playoffs wasn’t easy; midway through the season, the team sat below .500 and had suffered a crushing 53-point loss to the Lynx. But since that defeat, Wilson averaged 26.1 points and 12 rebounds during the Aces’ 16-game winning streak to enter the playoffs, topping 30 points in both elimination games against Seattle and Indiana.

But she didn’t do it all alone. Jackie Young emerged as the undeniable number 2 option, so much so that Wilson often said, “We don’t do anything without Jackie Young.” In Game 5 against the Fever, Young poured in 32 points, dished out 10 assists, and committed zero turnovers while playing a career-high 44 minutes. Together, Young and Wilson became the first duo in WNBA playoff history to each score at least 30 points in a game. Heading into Game 1 of the Finals, some fatigue from the duo was only natural.

But the team didn’t let that slow them down. The Aces’ bench poured in 41 points compared to just 16 from the Mercury, setting the tone for the victory. A’ja Wilson was quick to praise their contributions during the postgame press conference, saying, “Yeah, I mean they are, they are our key factors. I’ve said multiple times that Dana’s our battery. She makes us play at a different pace. And also, when it comes to Jewell, this is, this has always been Jewell. These two people particularly are two of the most hard-working people that I see in practice.”

In 26 minutes on the floor, Dana Evans put up 21 points, four steals, three assists, and two rebounds. She went 8-of-13 from the field, including an impressive 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Her performance made WNBA history. She became the first player in Finals history to hit five 3-pointers and record four steals in a single game, as per the WNBA communications page on X. And she wasn’t the only bench player making a major impact.

Kelsey Plum’s replacement, Jewell Loyd–who hasn’t had the strongest season by her own high standards–added 18 points. The 2023 WNBA scoring champion had averaged just 7.25 points per game during the playoffs, but she reminded everyone of her class in Game 1. Hammon called the bench “the best they have had since she joined,” and she wasn’t exaggerating. Phoenix led 76-70 with 8:42 left in regulation after a DeWanna Bonner tip-in, but Las Vegas clawed back, largely thanks to Evans, who nailed three of her five three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Several records fell after the game, and it’s no surprise who was at the center of most of them.

Las Vegas Aces players make records following Game 1 victory

The Aces may have been without Kelsey Plum as a secondary scoring option and lost the contributions of Alysha Clark and Sydney Colson off the bench this offseason, but their sisterhood remained intact. That unity has carried them all the way to the Finals, despite not being many critics’ favorites to even qualify.

Several records fell tonight, and once again, A’ja Wilson was at the heart of it all!

• Wilson joined an elite club, becoming only the fifth player ever to post a 20/10/5 game in the WNBA Finals with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, according to Polymarket Hoops.
• By adding two blocks against the Phoenix Mercury, the Las Vegas Aces center set a WNBA record for the longest streak of multi-block games in a single postseason at 9. She also tied Lisa Leslie for the most multi-block games in a postseason (38) and matched Candace Parker for second place all-time in WNBA postseason blocks (117).
• Wilson also tied Maya Moore for 3rd place in WNBA postseason history with her 28th career 20+ point game and surpassed Moore to move into 5th on the all-time WNBA playoff points list.
• But the records didn’t stop with Wilson. Aces guard Chelsea Gray also made history, passing Sue Bird for 3rd all-time in WNBA postseason assists.

It was a night full of records at Michelob ULTRA Arena, and the question now is whether the Aces can keep the momentum going in the next game. Will the bench shine again? Only time will tell. Who do you think will take home the championship? Share your thoughts in the comments below!