A’ja Wilson’s historic stat line carried the Las Vegas Aces to an 86-76 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night, clinching a spot in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship against the New York Liberty on June 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Wednesday night ended the way A’ja Wilson’s numbers suggested it would: loud, relentless, and impossible to ignore.
The Las Vegas Aces beat the Phoenix Mercury 86-76 to clinch their place in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game. Wilson put up 33 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks—an output that makes her the only player in WNBA history to reach those exact numbers in a single game.
Las Vegas improved to 11-4 after bouncing back from a 96-66 loss to the Dallas Wings that snapped their six-game winning streak. This win also locked in the Aces’ Cup final berth after they went 6-1 in Commissioner’s Cup play. then won the tiebreaker over Minnesota (6-1) following a 100-97 win over the Lynx.
Wilson wasn’t alone. NaLyssa Smith scored 21 points for the Aces, while Jackie Young added 20 points and 9 assists. Young also set a career high with five steals, helping Las Vegas finish with 18 steals—tied for the league-high mark in a game this season.
Phoenix, though, never got the kind of momentum it needed. Kahleah Copper led with 26 points. Alyssa Thomas contributed 10 points and 11 assists, but the Mercury’s season slide continued. Phoenix fell to 4-11 and have now lost four straight games.
The Mercury entered halftime with a 49-45 lead, shooting well early—60% from the field (18-of-30) and 7-of-10 from three in the first half. But Las Vegas tightened the game from there, and the final score made the turnaround unmistakable.
The game also served as a rematch of the 2025 WNBA Finals. Phoenix previously defeated the Aces 99-66 in the season opener, and Wednesday night delivered a very different result. Las Vegas still had to adjust without Chennedy Carter, who missed her second straight game due to illness.
When the Commissioner’s Cup championship arrives, the stakes will be even sharper. The Aces will face the New York Liberty on June 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with a $500,000 prize pool at stake.
New York earned its spot after an 86-64 win over the Washington Mystics. The Liberty went 6-0 in Cup play to reach the final for the third time, and he matchup promises a familiar kind of intensity: the two teams have combined for the past four WNBA championships.
WNBA Las Vegas Aces Phoenix Mercury A'ja Wilson Jackie Young NaLyssa Smith Kahleah Copper Alyssa Thomas Commissioner’s Cup Liberty vs Aces Barclays Center