When the Las Vegas Aces entered Game 3 of the Finals, they knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Facing them were the Phoenix Mercury, led by a big three and the league’s best scoring bench. It almost felt like the Aces were falling, as Phoenix stormed back in the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run. But Becky Hammon just didn’t let that happen.

As the game tied at 88, after the Aces coughed up a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, it all came down to one offensive possession. But even with seconds remaining, there wasn’t any panic. That’s because Becky Hammon knew she had a four-time MVP in the paint. So, when the head coach saw the Aces struggling, she drew up the play and said, “Just go get it done.” Five words—and the message was sent.

A’ja understood the assignment and reflected back on the trust Hammon had in her. When the Mercury closed the gap to just one point with 3:06 left, it was DeWanna Bonner who made a three-pointer and tied the game. She then made two free throws with 1:01 left to tie it once again at 88. And while many would say the game was slipping away, A’ja just looked for the opportunity.

“I feel like in that moment, if a coach has to tell you what to do, I’m not doing my job… (Hammon) just drew up a play—it wasn’t even really a play—it was pretty much what you saw. I’m appreciative that Becky trusts me in those moments… That’s playoff basketball. Those are the moments that you root for,” A’ja revealed later in the postgame interview.

And those moments that you root for, A’ja created for herself. She took an entry pass from Gray and, with 0.1 seconds left, delivered the game-winning turnaround jumper. You need to know this—it wasn’t a regular play. It came over Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, who defended her as the Mercury’s home crowd groaned.

But do you know the best part? Hammon didn’t take away the spotlight from her star player. She simply said there wasn’t any discussion about who would take the final shot. But A’ja knew it had to be her. “You give the ball to A’ja and get out of the way,” Hammon said in the postgame press conference. “That’s all it really was.”

Well, yes—Wilson just added another chapter to her postseason dominance. Now, she’s got a total of 291 points across 11 games, which is a WNBA postseason record. Even today, she shot 11 of 22 from the field while adding four assists. She also posted a double-double of 34 points with 14 rebounds to help the Aces go one step ahead in their run for their third championship title.

And no doubt, it wasn’t really an easy game. The Mercury had an edge as they hoped for a boost from their X-factor, but Vegas didn’t let any of it happen. Showing the poise of a veteran team, they simply nailed it. But honestly, it ain’t something new for them!

Having Becky Hammon as HC is an advantage for the Aces!

Hammon ain’t playing the Finals for the first time. She’s had an impressive résumé with back-to-back championship wins in 2022 and 2023. Her skills are so good that even the NBA wanted her to be the head coach for the San Antonio Spurs. And why not? She’s got experience, great chemistry with her team, and a winning mentality that helps her dominate games against the Mercury.

But as of now, she’s stressing more on the strategy part to play the underdog mindset. She used switching man defense to zone defense to derail the Mercury by the end of Game 1. And it worked, as the team flipped a 71-67 fourth quarter into a narrow three-point win. For Game 2, she changed her game again. This time, she used her big three to play a historic night. Jackie Young, A’ja Wilson, and Gray combined for 60 of the Aces’ 91 points to win the second game of the series with a 13-point margin. And for Game 3, the strategy changed yet again.

LV used a 17-0 run midway through the first quarter to stay strong with an early 21-8 lead. Then Jewell Loyd came off the bench and made four three-pointers in less than two minutes to lead the offense. And while the Mercury responded with a 13-0 run, they could never regain the advantage.

It’s because the Aces pulled away late in the second quarter, shooting 9 of 16 from three-point range. Do you get it? This time, there was more usage of bench players to make three-pointers to cut through the Mercury’s defense. The game saw a combined six from bench players Loyd and Evans. So yes—that’s how the Aces have been winning so far in the series. But now, the Mercury have no choice but to win the remaining four games, which the two-time WNBA champions won’t let them do either. So, stay tuned to know!