The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in a dominant performance Friday night to win their third WNBA championship in four years and cement their status as the league's reigning dynasty. The Aces completed a four-game sweep of the Mercury in the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in league history. Aces superstar and four-time league MVP A'Ja Wilson (6'4''-C-1996, college: S.Carolina) led the way in Game 4, finishing with 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks en route to earning Finals MVP honors. She averaged 28.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2 blocks in the Finals. "You have your Mount Rushmore, she's alone on Everest," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "There's no one around." Wilson brought a pink tambourine into the postgame news conference, shaking it to add humor and emphasis to some of her answers. "This is the symbol of just the joyfulness we have right now," she said. "And I'm grateful." Hammon, who played in the WNBA from 1999 to 2014, said the Aces are already one of the league's greatest franchises. "I think the evolving of the game... these players are bigger, stronger, faster and more skilled," Hammon said. "[Past] dynasties laid the groundwork and showed how winning should be done and really gave a lot to the WNBA insofar as history. "The skill set and level these guys [now] are at, to me, it's not comparable... it's a natural evolvement. That's the sign of any great league; it doesn't stay the same." The Aces' journey also wasn't the same as when they won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 as the No. 1 seed after having the league's best record. This season, they were.500 on Aug. 2 following a 53-point loss. But through a subsequent 16-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Aces secured the No. 2 playoff seed and weathered challenging first-round and semifinals series that went the distance before putting together a dominant Finals run that solidified their super-elite status. "I love being their coach, I love being their friend. Pushing them sometimes to their disliking a little bit, but I'm invested in their greatness," said Hammon, who took over as Aces coach in 2022 and is 10-2 in the WNBA Finals. "This one hits differently because it was different. There was probably a lot more adversity than any of us anticipated. We're all human, and we're humans that wanted to get it right, and get it right together." For the first 2½ months of the season, the Aces were not jelling. They lost their season opener by 14 points at New York, then hovered around.500 through June and July and had a losing record as late as July 25. "To be right here right now [compared] to where we were... there was a lot of doubt [but not] in that locker room," Aces point guard Chelsea Gray (5'11''-PG-1992, college: Duke) said. "We had confidence in each other. I'm just really proud of how we just stayed the course and trusted the process the entire time." While the Aces were trying to find themselves, the Minnesota Lynx were atop the league standings for most of the season and the presumed favorite to win the title after losing in the Finals to the Liberty a year ago. But New York fell in the first round of the playoffs, and Minnesota was eliminated in the semifinals both falling to Phoenix. The Mercury entered the Finals with a lot of momentum, but the Aces took it away. Las Vegas pulled out a close victory in Game 1, won comfortably in Game 2 and took Game 3 on Wilson's game-winning jumper with 0.3 seconds left. The Aces never trailed in Game 4, leading by 16 points at halftime and 15 entering the final quarter, after Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected in the third on a double technical for arguing with officials. With assistant coach and former WNBA player Kristi Toliver guiding them, the Mercury rallied in the fourth quarter and got as close as six points. But the Aces held on and celebrated their third title on the road, after winning at Connecticut in 2022 and at New York in 2023. Gray and Jackie Young (6'0''-PG-1997, college: Notre Dame) each scored 18 points and combined for 12 assists, while Jewell Loyd (5'11''-PG-1993, college: Notre Dame) and Dana Evans (5'6''-PG-1998, college: Louisville) combined for 22 points off the bench. "I was kind of written off in exile," said Loyd, who won two titles with the Seattle Stormbefore landing with the Aces via trade. "But I ended up in the promised land." Only the Lynx, Storm and Houston Comets (who disbanded after the 2008 season) have four WNBA titles. With Wilson and Young, both former No. 1 picks, still in their prime at ages 29 and 28, respectively, the Aces should be contenders to join that exclusive group. That is, if those players stay put, which is a question each WNBA team will have to answer this offseason. Almost every player not on a rookie contract will be a free agent for the 2026 season. Before free agency can begin, the league and players' union will need to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement and have expansion drafts for Portland and Toronto, two new franchises in 2026. "The last time I spoke about things like that, I got fined, so I think it's better if I don't say anything," Aces owner Mark Davis said of the ongoing CBA negotiations. "I think they'll work it out somehow. I hope. I haven't been consulted.... I don't think that there's two sides to this if you look at it as togetherness and trying to make the future better. I think that's what we need to do, but we'll see if that works." The off-the-court issues for the league prompted fans to boo commissioner Cathy Engelbert as she awarded the championship trophy to the Aces and the Finals MVP trophy to Wilson. Asked about the booing after the game, Gray said, "We have great players. You need to treat them like that." The WNBA's labor issues and free agency movement will play out over the next several months. During that time, the Aces can reflect on everything they went through and accomplished this season. "Good things happen to the right people," Wilson said. "And that's what you see in [our] locker room today."
Courtesy of: espn.com

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu (5'11''-PG-1997, college: Oregon) won her second 3-point contest Friday night to kick off WNBA All-Star Weekend, becoming the second player to win multiple shootouts. Ionescu won by scoring 30 of the possible 40 points in the second round, beating reigning champion Allisha Gray (6'0''-PG-1995, college: S.Carolina), who had 22. Ionescu's 30 points tied Allie Quigley (5'10''-G-1986, college: DePaul) for the second most in a WNBA 3-point contest. Ionescu holds the record of 37, set in 2023. "I knew I wasn't going to get it when I missed a few on the front end," Ionescu said of the record. "But I mean, I could have gotten close. I just missed some easy ones at the end. I think I knew I was high up there, and I kind of locked out a little bit and started like listening to the crowd. But I mean, 30 is not too bad. So I'm happy with 30 as well." More than chasing her record, Ionescu was looking to avenge the last 3-point contest she participated in a February 2024 shootout against Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry during NBA All-Star Weekend. Earlier Friday, Ionescu said going up against Curry was the most pressure she had felt at an All-Star event. This time around, she was focused on having fun and not taking it too seriously. Ionescu didn't practice leading into the contest, and the first time she shot off a rack was during warmups just moments before the competition started. "I remember being a kid and always watching these events and finding my favorite shooter just by watching," Ionescu said. "I want to be able to be that person that can show up when time permits and be a part of All-Star Weekend and kind of showcase to the world how you can believe in yourself, how you can put the work in. And whether you win or not, it takes guts to be able to go out there when the lights are the brightest." Ionescu wasn't the only Liberty player to take home hardware Friday. In the opening event, teammate Natasha Cloud (5'10''-PG-1992, college: St.Joseph's) won the skills challenge, setting up what the duo called a "Liberty Biberty takeover" of the evening. Cloud recorded the fastest times in both rounds of the competition, clocking 34.1 seconds in the first round and 35.5 seconds in the second. She beat Erica Wheeler (5'7''-PG-1991, college: Rutgers) by 1.1 seconds in the final. Cloud won despite missing all three of her shots from the corner over a windmill the hardest shot of the night. "I was really just making sure I was making those passes through the target, that I was sprinting in between to cut down on the time from making the passes and then the shots," Cloud said. "And with the shots, if it didn't feel right, I didn't care." As Cloud scored her final layup, Ionescu ran down the court to bear-hug her teammate. Cloud then went to center court and picked up her girlfriend, New York teammate Isabelle Harrison, and kissed her. Cloud said her prize money would go toward a down payment on a house for them. "That's Izzy B's money," Cloud said. "She told me to go win this money for a home, and that's what it's going down to." Cloud received $55,000 from Aflac as part of a partnership with the Women's National Basketball Players Association and an additional $2,575 from the league. Ionescu won $62,575 $60,000 from Aflac and $2,575 from the league. Ionescu promised half of her winnings to Sonia Citron, the Washington Mystics rookie who was eliminated in the first round of the 3-point contest, and the other half to her charitable foundation, SI20. "I told Sonia that I would give her half if I won when we were sitting on the bench. Being the only rookie, she was nervous, and I was nervous for her," Ionescu said. "Obviously have to hold up my end of the bargain. So half is going to go to her." Cloud said the Liberty's sweep Friday night should set them up for a strong second half of the season after an up-and-down first half. The Liberty are just the third team to win both challenges in the same year. "I've been talking about it since we both entered the skills and 3-point challenge, been talking to Sab about sweeping the night," Cloud said. "But today is the day, and it was a good night. I was really thankful for the opportunity... to come out on top in the 'Liberty Biberty' night. I think it's also just refreshing.... It's a great night for the Liberty organization."
Courtesy of: espn.com

MINNEAPOLIS The Indiana Fever were without star guard Caitlin Clark (6'0''-PG-2002, college: Iowa), were 10.5-point underdogs and were playing on the home court of the WNBA's first-place team, the Minnesota Lynx.
None of that stopped the Fever from winning the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final 74-59 on Tuesday and taking home the league's in-season championship. They did it with Clark, last season's Rookie of the Year, sidelined for a third consecutive game because of a groin injury. She was watching from the bench at Target Center, and her teammates gave her a lot to cheer.
"We have a resilient group, you know?" Fever coach Stephanie White said. "They're tough, mentally and physically. They pull for one another. I'm just really proud. We're going to continue to get better. Caitlin is a player who has a high usage rate, has the ball in her hands a lot. Learning to play without her, learning to make big plays in tough moments on both ends of the floor is important."

Clark sat out five games earlier this season because of a quad injury. The Fever also lost one of their marquee free agent signings, guard/forward DeWanna Bonner (6'4''-G-1987, college: Auburn), on June 25. She no longer wanted to play for the Fever, saying it wasn't a good fit, and Indiana waived her.
So Indiana (8-8) has been through plenty of ups and downs not even halfway through the season. But Tuesday's victory gave the Fever a confidence boost and possibly sent a message to the rest of the league.
"I think we've got a team full of givers," said guard Kelsey Mitchell (5'8''-PG-1995, college: Ohio St.), the longest-tenured Fever player in her eighth season. "That's what our team is all about. It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances. To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

Forward Natasha Howard (6'2''-F-1991, college: FSU, agency: LBM Management), a veteran in her first season with the Fever after signing as a free agent, was the game's MVP with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Aliyah Boston (6'5''-F-2001, college: S.Carolina), the 2023 Rookie of the Year and a No. 1 pick like Clark, had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Fever's guard corps minus Clark Mitchell, Aari McDonald (5'6''-PG-1998, college: Arizona), Lexie Hull (6'1''-G-1999, college: Stanford), Sophie Cunningham (6'1''-G-1996, college: Missouri) and Sydney Colson (5'8''-PG-1989, college: Texas A&M) combined for 46 points. As a team, the Fever's defense went into lockdown mode in the second quarter, holding the Lynx scoreless for the last 8:13 of the half and taking control.
The last time Minnesota had gone at least eight consecutive minutes in a game without scoring was in August 2011 before the Lynx had won the first of their four WNBA championships. That came later that season.
Howard gets a lot of credit for the Fever's defensive effectiveness. She was the WNBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, when she was with the Seattle Storm. On Tuesday, she was key in holding Minnesota star Napheesa Collier (6'1''-F-1996, college: UConn), the WNBA's leading scorer at 24.4 points per game, to only 12 on 6-of-18 shooting.

"They kind of got their rhythm going, and we just sort of lost ours," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "We didn't have the usual sort of fortitude, fight and response to physicality."
The Commissioner's Cup, which was introduced in 2021, now has had five winners: Seattle, Las Vegas, New York, Minnesota and Indiana. The winning team's players share a $500,000 prize pool and take home a trophy.

Indiana last won the WNBA championship in 2012, so it has been a while since the Fever were able to celebrate the way they did Tuesday.
As for Clark's return, White said the Fever are not going to rush it. Clark has done some noncontact workouts in recent days. She is one of the WNBA All-Star captains, along with Collier, for the July 19 game in Indianapolis. The Fever have seven games left before the All-Star break, the next five in a row at home starting Thursday.
"She's making progress," White said of Clark. "Top of mind is just long term, making sure we don't have any setbacks. Making progress and feeling good are two different things. And we want to make sure that she feels good, that she's confident. That's the priority right now."

Courtesy of ESPN

Napheesa Collier (6'1''-F-1996, college: UConn) made a statement with her record play on the court and the players made one with warmup shirts for the WNBA All-Star Game. Collier scored a record 36 points to help her team beat Team Clark 151-131 in the WNBA All-Star Game that was devoid of defense but full of 4-point shots. This record offensive effort came a year after the league’s annual exhibition game was a competitive contest that pitted the U.S Olympic team against WNBA All-Stars. The game capped off a weekend where negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement took center stage. Players wore T-shirts while warming up before the game that said “Pay us what you owe us.” “The players are taking this seriously, I think it sends a really strong message that we’re standing really firm in certain areas that we feel really strong that we need to improve on. I think we got the message across,” said Collier, who was named the game’s MVP. As she waited to get her trophy the crowd chanted “Pay them more” and All-Star Brittney Sykes held up a sign saying “Pay the Players.” Captain Caitlin Clark (6'0''-PG-2002, college: Iowa) was unable to play for her team because of a groin injury she suffered earlier this week. She still served as ambassador for the weekend. Known for her deep logo 3-pointers, Clark would have loved a chance at the 4-point shot that was added to this game which was 28-feet from the basket. Both teams took advantage of the deep shot en route to the record-setting offensive night. They combined to hit 20 of the shots on 65 attempts. The 151 points scored by Team Collier broke the mark put up by Team Stewart of 143 in 2023 for the most in an All-Star Game. Collier’s point total broke Arike Ogunbowale (5'8''-PG-1997, college: Notre Dame)’s previous record of 34 points scored last year. The combined total of 282 also surpassed the previous high total of 270 set in 2023. While there was little defense played, both teams challenged plays in the fourth quarter with the game not in doubt. One was successful and one wasn’t. The game also featured rookies Paige Bueckers (6'0''-G-2001, college: UConn), Sonia Citron (6'1''-G-2003, college: Notre Dame) and Kiki Iriafen (6'3''-F-2003, college: USC) making up the largest rookie contingent at the game since 2011. Citron and Iriafen were on Team Clark, and Bueckers was a starter for Napheesa Collier’s team.
Courtesy of: apnews.com