WNBA Finals 2025 Set, 3 Instant Reactions to Aces vs. Mercury on the Bracket
The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Indiana Fever, 107-98, in an overtime Game 5 thriller on Tuesday night to advance to the WNBA Finals.
Set to face the Phoenix Mercury, league MVP A'ja Wilson will look to cap off her stellar season by leading the Aces to a championship.
Wilson finished with 35 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Jackie Young added 32 points and 10 assists.. Chelsea Gray added 17 points, and Jackie Loyd added eight points and six rebounds.
The WNBA Finals Game 1 between the No. 2 Aces and No. 4 will tip off on Friday in Las Vegas.
As we gear up for what promises to be an exciting WNBA Finals, here are three quick reactions to the matchup ahead.
Alyssa Thomas vs. A'ja Wilson Could Be a Showdown for Finals MVP
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The battle between these two veteran bigs—and former first-round picks—will be a focal point of the series, as both stars anchor their teams on both ends of the floor in pursuit of a championship.
Wilson, averaging 24.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game this postseason, has been nearly unstoppable on both ends. As she bids to add to her growing list of accolades, a 2025 Finals MVP alongside a regular-season MVP would be a fitting cap to her dominant year.
Meanwhile, 33-year-old Thomas has taken Phoenix by storm in her first season in the Valley. Averaging 18.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, the veteran playmaker is on the hunt for her first Finals MVP and a long-awaited title.
Phoenix Wasn't Supposed to Be in the Finals
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Just last season, the Phoenix Mercury were swept in the first round by the Minnesota Lynx after finishing the year 19-21. The season prior, they finished a league-worst 9-31 despite a roster filled with talent in Diana Taurasi's final year, which also featured Sophie Cunningham, Brittney Griner, Megan Gustafson, Shey Peddy and Sug Sutton.
This season, expectations were low as Phoenix was believed to still be in rebuilding mode following that major turnaround year in 2023.
However, the 2025 Mercury have shocked the league—plowing through the defending champion New York Liberty and knocking off the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx to storm their way into the WNBA Finals.
They've paved their own path to the championship round, with no plans to stop short of a title.
Is A'ja Wilson One Title Away From GOAT Status?
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With two WNBA championships, four league MVPs (the most in WNBA history), one Finals MVP, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and seven All-Star selections, there's little left for her to prove.
But does a third WNBA title cement her legacy among the greatest of all time?
Only a handful of players have won more. Rebekkah Brunson leads with five championships (2005–2017), while Sue Bird and four others have claimed four. Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, and Chelsea Gray each have three.
Perhaps the 2018 No. 1 overall pick has her sights set on six—and a place alone at the top.
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