The list is a little shorter. The stakes are a lot higher.

ESPN has ranked the top 25 players in the WNBA throughout this season. Now that we've reached the WNBA Finals, the list shrinks to the best 15 players on the court as the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury meet in the league's first seven-game championship series to determine the 2025 champion. Game 1 is Friday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Las Vegas.

Aces center A'ja Wilson , who won her record fourth regular-season MVP award last month, remains at the top, just as she was in our rankings heading into the playoffs. Wilson is going for her third league championship and second WNBA Finals MVP award.

Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas , who also was an MVP candidate this season, is No. 2 on our list. She hopes to lead the Mercury to

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