Oct 3, 2025; Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) dribbles against Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) during the fourth quarter of game one of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces’ bench won Game 1 of the WNBA Finals over the Phoenix Mercury, but a big performance from the Aces’ Big 3 secured a Game 2 win.

The No. 2 seed Aces routed the No. 4 seed Mercury 91-78 on Sunday, Oct. 5, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series as the WNBA Finals now shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Wednesday.

The Aces are now two wins away from their third WNBA title in four years.

Las Vegas’ superstar trio of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray were borderline unstoppable on Sunday. Wilson (28 points, 14 rebounds), Young (32 points, eight rebounds) and Gray (10 points and 10 assists) combined for 70 of the Aces' 91 points. Gray is the fifth player in WNBA Finals history to record back-to-back games with 10 or more assists.

Adding injury to insult, Mercury forward Satou Sabally went down with 3:57 remaining in the fourth quarter after apparently tweaking her right ankle when she was fouled by Wilson.

Here are highlights and a full recap from Game 2 on Sunday:

End of Q3: Aces 76, Mercury 61

While the second quarter belonged to Aces center A’ja Wilson, the third quarter belonged to guard Jackie Young, who scored 21 of her 30 points in the period to extend the Aces' lead to 15 points.

Wilson already has a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray is on double-double watch with 10 points and nine assists.

Kahleah Cooper has a team-high 21 points for the Mercury, while Alyssa Thomas has added 10 points, six points and four assists. It’s worth noting that Thomas picked up her fourth foul with 7:19 remaining in the third quarter. Satou Sabally has 12 points and five rebounds.

Halftime: Aces 46, Mercury 37

Back and forth we go. The first half of Game 2 of the WNBA Finals featured five lead changes and four ties, but the Aces outscored the Mercury 22-10 in the second quarter to create some separation and take a nine-point lead into halftime, the largest by either team so far.

The second quarter belonged to Aces center A’ja Wilson, who scored 13 of her 20 points in the frame, adding eight rebounds (three offensive) and one assist to her stat line. Chelsea Young contributed nine points, seven assists and three steals, while Jackie Young is up to nine points and four rebounds.

Each of the Mercury’s starters has scored so far, led by 15 points from Kahleah Copper. Alyssa Thomas has eight points and five rebounds, but found herself in foul trouble with three. The Mercury were outrebounded 14-6 in the second quarter and are shooting a dismal 3-of-15 from beyond the 3-point line.

End of Q1: Mercury 27, Aces 24

The Mercury led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, but the Aces went on a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the game with 3:17 remaining in the quarter. There were four ties and four lead changes in the first quarter alone.

Phoenix has a three-point advantage heading into the second quarter.

Kahleah Copper leads the Mercury with 11 points and two rebounds. Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Monique Akoa Makani each added four points.

A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young each have seven points for the Aces.

The Mercury are controlling the boards early on, with 11 rebounds (five offensive), compared to eight (2 offensive) for the Aces. The Mercury also have a slight edge over the Aces in the paint, 12-8.

What time is Mercury vs. Aces Game 2?

Game 2 of the WNBA Finals between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 5 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

How to watch Mercury vs. Aces in WNBA Finals: TV, streaming for Game 2

  • Date: Sunday, Oct. 5
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT)
  • Location: Michelob Ultra Arena (Las Vegas)
  • TV: ABC
  • Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

Stream Aces-Mercury series on Fubo (free trial)

Game 2 tips off; Mercury take early lead

Game 2 of the WNBA Finals is underway at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Mercury guard Kahleah Copper opened Game 2 of the WNBA Finals with a 3-pointer to get the Mercury on the board first and Phoenix quickly jumped to a 12-5 lead, but the Aces went on a 7-4 run to come within four points with 4:45 remaining in the first quarter.

Copper dropped 19 points in the first half of Game 1 and is already up to six points for the Mercury. Chelsea Gray has five points for the Aces, while A’ja Wilson has four points.

WNBA starting lineups

Las Vegas Aces starting lineup

Head coach: Becky Hammon

  • 0 Jackie Young | G 6' 0" - Notre Dame
  • 1 Kierstan Bell | F 6' 1" - Florida Gulf Coast
  • 3 NaLyssa Smith | F 6' 4" - Baylor
  • 12 Chelsea Gray | G 5' 11" - Duke
  • 22 A'ja Wilson | C 6' 5" - South Carolina

Phoenix Mercury starting lineup

Head coach: Nate Tibbetts

  • 0 Satou Sabally | F 6' 4" - Oregon
  • 2 Kahleah Copper | G 6' 1" - Rutgers
  • 4 Natasha Mack | C 6' 4" - Oklahoma State
  • 8 Monique Akoa Makani | G 5' 11" - Cameroon
  • 25 Alyssa Thomas | F 6' 2" - Maryland

2025 WNBA Finals schedule

Date Game . Time (ET) TV Channel
Fri, Oct. 3 1 Aces 89, Mercury 86
Sun, Oct. 5 2 Mercury at Aces 3:00PM ABC
Wed, Oct. 8 3 Aces at Mercury 8:00PM ESPN
Fri, Oct. 10 4 Aces at Mercury 8:00PM ESPN
Sun, Oct. 12 5* Mercury at Aces 3:00PM ABC
Wed, Oct. 15 6* Aces at Mercury 8:00PM ESPN
Fri, Oct. 17 7* Mercury at Aces 8:00PM ESPN

How many games in the WNBA Finals?

The league expanded the 2025 WNBA Finals from a best-of-five series to best-of-seven as the popularity and appetite for women's basketball continues to skyrocket. "The incredible demand for WNBA basketball makes this the ideal time," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at the announcement in 2024.

"It's exciting to be part of the first one," Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said on Thursday. "We talk about how a best-of-five is a tough series. ... We don't know what a best-of-seven brings, but nothing changes. We still approach it the same way."

Las Vegas Aces roster

# NAME POS EXP HT COLLEGE
0 Jackie Young G 7 6' 0" Notre Dame
1 Kierstan Bell F 3 6' 1" Florida Gulf Coast
3 NaLyssa Smith F 3 6' 4" Baylor
11 Dana Evans G 4 5' 6" Louisville
12 Chelsea Gray G 10 5' 11" Duke
13 Aaliyah Nye G Rookie 6' 0" Alabama
17 Megan Gustafson C 6 6' 4" Iowa
22 A'ja Wilson C 7 6' 5" South Carolina
24 Jewell Loyd G 10 5' 11" Notre Dame
32 Cheyenne Parker-Tyus F 10 6' 4" Middle Tennessee State
41 Kiah Stokes C 10 6' 3" Connecticut

WNBA MVP: A'ja Wilson wins for record fourth time

A'ja Wilson was named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season. She is the first four-time MVP, besting three-time winners Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.

Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The Las Vegas Aces center won the award over finalists Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (534), Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391), Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (180) and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (93).

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson stats

Wilson averaged a league-leading 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists (ties her career-high), a league-leading 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 40 games this season. Wilson averaged 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the Aces' first-round playoff series against the Seattle Storm, including a 38-point performance in Game 3, tying her playoff career high. Wilson averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals in the Aces' five-game semifinal series against the Indiana Fever, including a 35-point performance in the Aces' decisive Game 5 overtime win.

Phoenix Mercury roster

# NAME POS EXP HT COLLEGE
0 Satou Sabally F 5 6' 4" Oregon
1 Alexa Held G Rookie 5' 10" DePaul
2 Kahleah Copper G 9 6' 1" Rutgers
4 Natasha Mack F 4 6' 4" Oklahoma State
8 Monique Akoa Makani G Rookie 5' 11" Cameroon
9 Kitija Laksa G Rookie 6' 1" South Florida
14 DeWanna Bonner G 16 6' 4" Auburn
21 Kalani Brown C 7 6' 7" Baylor
23 Kiana Williams G 4 5' 8" Stanford
24 Kathryn Westbeld F Rookie 6' 3" Notre Dame
25 Alyssa Thomas F 11 6' 2" Maryland
33 Sami Whitcomb G 8 5' 10" Washington

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally stats

Sabally averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 39 games this season, shooting 40.5% from the field and 32.1% from the 3-point line.

WNBA Finals Game 1: Winners, losers include Aces bench and Mercury meltdown

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces rallied in the fourth quarter to pull off an 89-86 victory over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Dana Evans scored 21 points including five 3-pointers and Jewell Loyd 18 points off the bench to spark the Aces. MVP A'ja Wilson added 21 points and 10 rebounds.

"It was just a really great time for our bench to come up and have a big game," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "I think you saw a little fatigue. That’s what makes us a difficult team because we do have potential for someone else to come up and get 20. Read USA TODAY Sports' full list of winners and losers here.

WNBA champions by year

Year Champion Runner-Up
2024 New York Liberty Minnesota Lynx
2023 Las Vegas Aces New York Liberty
2022 Las Vegas Aces Connecticut Sun
2021 Chicago Sky Phoenix Mercury
2020 Seattle Storm Las Vegas Aces
2019 Washington Mystics Connecticut Sun
2018 Seattle Storm Washington Mystics
2017 Minnesota Lynx Los Angeles Sparks
2016 Los Angeles Sparks Minnesota Lynx
2015 Minnesota Lynx Indiana Fever
2014 Phoenix Mercury Chicago Sky
2013 Minnesota Lynx Atlanta Dream
2012 Indiana Fever Minnesota Lynx
2011 Minnesota Lynx Atlanta Dream
2010 Seattle Storm Atlanta Dream
2009 Phoenix Mercury Indiana Fever
2008 Detroit Shock San Antonio Silver Stars
2007 Phoenix Mercury Detroit Shock
2006 Detroit Shock Sacramento Monarchs
2005 Sacramento Monarchs Connecticut Sun
2004 Seattle Storm Connecticut Sun
2003 Detroit Shock Los Angeles Sparks
2002 Los Angeles Sparks New York Liberty
2001 Los Angeles Sparks Charlotte Sting
2000 Houston Comets New York Liberty
1999 Houston Comets New York Liberty
1998 Houston Comets Phoenix Mercury
1997 Houston Comets New York Liberty

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Las Vegas Aces take commanding 2-0 lead in WNBA Finals with Game 2 rout of Phoenix Mercury

Reporting by Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect