Shock and Fire: A’ja Wilson’s Ejected in the 3rd Quarter Ignites WNBA Finals Drama..
In a Finals matchup already crackling with MVP-caliber tension, reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson was unceremoniously ejected in the second quarter of Game 3, sending shockwaves through a sold-out crowd at PHX Arena. The Las Vegas Aces, up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series against the desperate Phoenix Mercury, saw their star center’s night end abruptly amid a heated on-court clash with Alyssa Thomas, the Mercury’s All-Defensive First Team forward and Wilson’s MVP runner-up.
It happened with 4:12 left in the half, the score knotted at 42-42. Wilson, averaging 26.7 points and 12 rebounds through the first two games, backed down Thomas in the post for what looked like a routine isolation play. But as Wilson spun for a hook shot, contact escalated – elbows flew, words were exchanged, and both players tumbled to the floor in a tangle of limbs and fury. Refs whistled a double technical, but after a heated review, Wilson drew the short straw: two unsportsmanlike fouls for “escalating the altercation,” per league officials. Thomas, seething but composed, stayed in, drawing a single technical.
The arena erupted – boos rained down on the zebras, Aces coach Becky Hammon stormed the floor in protest, and Wilson’s teammates looked shell-shocked. “That’s my heart out there,” Hammon fumed postgame. “A’ja’s the best player in the world, and they took her because of one bad call in a rivalry this intense.” Wilson, mic’d up in the tunnel, could be heard muttering, “This ain’t over,” as she slammed a locker door.
The fallout? Phoenix capitalized. With Wilson sidelined (8 points, 5 rebounds in 14 minutes), Satou Sabally exploded for 28 points, Kahleah Copper added 22, and Thomas – guarding Wilson’s replacement NaLyssa Smith – notched a near-triple-double (14 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists). The Mercury clawed to a 92-85 upset win, cutting the series to 2-1 and breathing life into their championship bid.
This wasn’t just a whistle; it was a powder keg. Wilson and Thomas, both 2025 All-Defensive First Team selections, have history – Thomas limited Wilson to 13 points in a regular-season thriller, but A’ja dominated their Finals clashes with 24.5 points per game. Whispers of “rivalry beef” had simmered since MVP voting, where Wilson’s record fourth award edged Thomas’s league-record eight triple-doubles. Post-ejection, Thomas shrugged: “Basketball’s physical. A’ja’s a beast; she’ll be back fiercer.”
For the Aces, chasing a third title in four years, the loss stings – Jackie Young (26 points) and Chelsea Gray (12 points, 10 assists) fought valiantly, but the bench faltered without Wilson’s rim protection. Game 4 looms Friday in Phoenix, where a Mercury sweep-avoidance could flip the script. As Wilson told reporters, eyes blazing: “They lit a fire tonight. Watch us burn.”
In a league exploding with stars, this ejection isn’t just controversy – it’s the spark that could define the 2025 Finals.
