“FACTS!!!!!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥“ That is what LeBron James wrote through his official X account after Nike Basketball sent their praise to A’ja Wilson by writing, “She is who she thinks she is.” The 2025 WNBA MVP was phenomenal in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, as she took the game-scoring lead whilst being surrounded by thousands of Phoenix Mercury fans at the PHX Arena. To top off her dominance, she made the game-winning shot after the game was tied 88-88 with 5 seconds remaining. As it turns out, not too much planning went into ensuring that the shot took place.

After the close win, A’ja Wilson, along with Aces head coach Becky Hammon and the team’s point guard/shooting guard Jewell Lloyd, participated in a presser. During the same, a reporter asked Wilson and Hammon what the call was for that last shot, and whether something was said regarding it in the huddle before the players went out. Hammon replied, “Give the ball to Aj’a. Get out of the way. That’s all the play was.” Meanwhile, Wilson said that she would have felt that she wasn’t doing her job well if a coach had to tell her at that point in time about what to do.

“She just drew up a play. Uh, it wasn’t really even a play. Yeah, it was pretty much what you saw. Um, and I’m appreciative that Becky trusted me in those moments,” said Wilson. “Uh, but those…. that’s playoff basketball moments. Those are the moments that you live for. So, I’m glad I was able to show up.”

Over the course of 38 minutes, A’ja Wilson recorded 34 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists. She shot 11-20 (55.0%) field goals, 1-2 (50.0%) 3-pointers, and 11-12 (91.7%) free throws. The 34 points she recorded have pushed Wilson’s postseason total to 291. With this, Wilson has broken the WNBA record for most points in a single playoffs.

The Aces had a comfortable lead at least before the 4th quarter. After that, the Phoenix Mercury stormed back and erased a 17-point deficit. The game was tied at 88 thanks to 2 free throws from DeWanna Bonner as about a minute of action remained. It looked as if the Mercury would prevent a sweep after the Aces turned the ball over, and it landed in the hands of Alyssa Thomas with 20 seconds remaining. However, she couldn’t convert a layup and gave Las Vegas the ball back. Becky Hammon called a timeout with five seconds remaining and drew up the play. The rest, as they say, is history. A spin, a fade, and a shot, and now the Aces are just 1 more win away from winning the WNBA championship. Their 3rd title in 4 years.

The years that A’ja Wilson and Becky Hammon have spent together gave the head coach the faith to entrust that final shot to her star player without any additional instructions. It would also have been a decision that no other Aces player would have questioned, either. Especially not Jewell Loyd, given what she has observed about the 2025 WNBA MVP.

Jewell Loyd Reveals Unteachable Trait A’ja Wilson Possesses

As ‘The Athletic’ reporter Marcus Thompson II revealed, “Jewell Loyd doesn’t do starstruck. Never has.” However, an exception is made when it comes to A’ja Wilson. Loyd recently highlighted that during an interview, which was covered by the New York Post. As Loyd highlighted, Wilson’s motor and her daunting presence weren’t something that could be replicated. The strength, power, and finesse serve as “discouraging even to the most valiant rivals”.

“It’s like a lion, you know?” Loyd said. “It’s intimidating and it’s something that she just has in her. And she does it with grace, as well. And it’s not arrogance, it’s not trying to get that attention; it’s just who she is.”

Rachel A. DeMita once said that “It’s pretty much been the Aj’a Wilson and the Jackie Young show, and it’s primarily been the Aj’a Wilson show. So, for the Aces, for them to have a chance in these finals, somebody else is going to have to step up besides those two players.” The Phoenix Mercury noticed this, too. As a result, going into Game 3, Alyssa Thomas said, “We got to make every shot difficult. That’s the nature of the beast.” Meanwhile, Nate Tibbetts said, “She’s so good, you can’t give up the easy ones and we did that. And we will be better in Game 3.” We all know how things unfolded.

Do you think we can expect another clutch moment from A’ja Wilson in Game 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.