(From Athlon Sports’ 2025 Year in Review magazine, celebrating the year’s champions and top sports moments globally.)
A new powerhouse has emerged in the WNBA.
The Las Vegas Aces, led by star A’ja Wilson, cemented their place among the league’s all-time great franchises in 2025 by capturing their third championship in four years. Although they started the season slowly, the Aces rebounded impressively, closing the regular season with a 16-game winning streak and earning a spot in the Finals once again.
After winning consecutive titles in 2022 and 2023, Las Vegas stumbled against the New York Liberty in the 2024 semifinals. However, Wilson elevated her game in 2025, leading the Aces to dominate the Phoenix Mercury in four games during the league’s first-ever Man-7 Championship Series.
Wilson’s stellar season solidified her status as one of basketball’s all-time greats. She became the first player in WNBA or NBA history to secure the scoring title, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (shared with Minnesota’s Alana Smith), and Finals MVP all within the same season.
“We’ve been battle-tested top to bottom,” Wilson said following the title win. “Greatness means being patient and ready when your moment comes. We have to be great even when nobody’s watching.”
After their 2024 playoff loss to the Liberty, the Aces made significant moves: longtime assistant Natalie Nakase departed to coach Golden State Valkyries, and key starter Kelsey Plum was traded in a three-team deal that brought All-WNBA guard Jewell Lloyd to Vegas. The revamped lineup initially struggled, going 5-9 in early summer, prompting further changes.
On June 30, the Aces acquired forward Narissa Smith from Dallas and later made her a starter. Coach Becky Hammon also benched Lloyd in favor of Kierstan Bell, who helped the team briefly rebound before a historic 111-58 home loss to Minnesota. That defeat sparked renewed focus and unity, leading Las Vegas to an undefeated run for the remainder of the regular season.
Entering the playoffs as the No. 2 seed behind Minnesota, the Aces edged Seattle 2-1 in the first round with Wilson averaging 29.3 points per game. In a tough semifinal matchup against an injury-depleted Indiana Fever, Wilson scored 35 points in a decisive Game 5 to send Vegas to the Finals.
Against Phoenix, the Aces took control early in Game 1 despite a strong Mercury start, winning 89-86 thanks to clutch shooting from Dana Evans. Las Vegas carried momentum into Games 2 and 3, with Wilson hitting a buzzer-beater in the latter to take a 3-0 series lead. Game 4 saw the Aces clinch the title 97-86 as Wilson averaged 28.5 points and 11.8 rebounds for the series, earning Finals MVP honors.
“This championship was harder than any before,” said Hammon. “We faced more adversity than expected, but we stayed focused to finish strong.”
The 2025 WNBA season was historic both on and off the court. Star players delivered record-breaking performances while the league’s growth drove unprecedented visibility and scrutiny. Expansion teams surpassed expectations, franchise sales stirred controversy, and players made their voices heard louder than ever—most notably during tense CBA negotiations spotlighting stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers.
Despite the Aces’ dominance, the season revealed challenges ahead for the league’s management and structure. Regular season viewership reached new heights, yet issues like leadership criticism, player injuries, team relocations, and internal conflicts underscored ongoing growing pains.
Highlights included Napheesa Collier’s public rebuke of league commissioner Cathy Engelbert, players demanding better pay in the lead-up to the All-Star Game, the contested sale of the Connecticut Sun, and Angel Reese’s candid remarks about Chicago Sky’s direction. Rookie Paige Bueckers dazzled with standout scoring for Dallas, while the newly formed Golden State Valkyries impressed as the first expansion team to reach the playoffs.
Meanwhile, reigning champion New York Liberty struggled with injuries and coaching changes, and Minnesota Lynx stars Courtney Williams and Natisha Heedeman entertained fans with popular Twitch streams that deepened fan engagement.
Overall, A’ja Wilson’s unprecedented accolades and the Aces’ resilience symbolize a new era of excellence and competition in the WNBA, even as the league navigates its growing pains.
Fan Take: This thrilling season underscores the WNBA’s rapid rise and the fierce talent driving its future. For fans, it highlights how the league is evolving both on the court with historic achievements and off it with players demanding respect and fair treatment—signals that the best is yet to come for women’s basketball.
