Las Vegas Aces’ Kiah Stokes, left, blocks a shot attempt by Connecticut Sun’s Natisha Hiedeman as Aces’ A’ja Wilson, center, defends during the first half in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday in Uncasville, Conn. Jessica Hill/Associated Press
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Alyssa Thomas had the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history, and the Connecticut Sun staved off elimination by beating the Las Vegas Aces 105-76 in Game 3 on Thursday night.
Thomas had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists for the Sun, who have now won all four of their elimination games in these playoffs, topping Dallas on the road in the first round and beating Chicago in Games 4 and 5 to close out that series.
Game 4 of this best-of-five series is Sunday in Connecticut.
Las Vegas got off to a fast start, scoring nine of the first 11 points and forcing Connecticut to call a timeout. That settled the Sun down and they took over, outscoring the Aces 32-10 the rest of the quarter, including 25 of the final 29 points. Connecticut made 14 of its 17 shots in the period and DeWanna Bonner was a big reason why.
She struggled in the first two games of the series, scoring five points total while missing 16 of her 18 shots. She had seven points in the opening eight minutes on Thursday night and finished with 18. Jonquel Jones led the Sun with 20 points.
Jones, Bonner and Thomas helped Connecticut dominate inside as the Sun set a Finals record with 64 points in the paint while holding Las Vegas to 26.
Connecticut used that advantage to lead 53-34 with 1:44 left in the second quarter before the Aces closed the quarter by scoring the final nine points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Kelsey Plum from just inside half-court.
The Sun seized momentum back to start the third quarter, scoring the first five points. Las Vegas couldn’t get closer than six the rest of the game.
Jackie Young scored 22 points and A’ja Wilson added 19 for the Aces.
The victory thwarted Las Vegas’ first attempt at winning the franchise’s inaugural WNBA championship. The team had been in the Finals twice before and got swept in 2008 and 2020.
NOTES: Aces forward A’ja Wilson and guard Kelsey Plum were named to the All-WNBA first team.
Wilson, who recently was named the league’s MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, was one of two unanimous selections after appearing on all 56 ballots submitted by a national panel of sports writers and broadcasters and receiving the maximum 280 points.
In five seasons in the league, Wilson has made the All-WNBA first team three consecutive years and also was a second-team choice.
Plum made the All-WNBA team for the first time in six years in the league (she missed the 2020 season because of injury). She received 265 points and was a first-team selection on 50 ballots.
Wilson also won the MVP award in 2020, becoming the seventh player in league history to claim the award multiple times. She averaged 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and a league-leading 1.94 blocks. She also led the league with 17 double-doubles.
“Every year, I feel like I still have something to give,” Wilson said after winning the MVP award. “I still have something to figure out about the league, gotta add something more to my game.”
It’s the fifth time in league history that a player was named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season and the first time since Seattle Storm center Lauren Jackson in 2007.
Plum’s rise has been more sudden. After winning the Sixth Player of the Year award in 2021, she was moved into the starting lineup by first-year coach Becky Hammon.
Plum responded with the best season of her career. She was second in the league in scoring at 20.2 points per game and led the league in 3-pointers with 113. Her 5.1 assists per game ranked ninth, and she shot 42% on 3s, fourth in the league.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Plum said in May. “It’s my fifth year, and I feel very comfortable in my own skin — on the court, off the court. I feel like I’m ready.”
Plum also made her first All-Star Game appearance and was named the game’s MVP. She finished third in MVP voting for the regular season.
Wilson and Plum were joined on the first team by Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart, Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith and Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker.
Stewart, the league’s scoring leader at 21.4 points per game, was the other unanimous selection. Diggins-Smith and Parker each finished with 183 points.
Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas, New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, Sun center Jonquel Jones and Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles comprised the second team.
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