The WBA Finals series has an essential match-up between two MVP contenders of the 2025 season – Alyssa Thomas and A’ja Wilson. The Aces star might have won the battle for the accolade, but the finals series will be a different game altogether with teams involved in the ultimate prize.
In Game 1, the 29-year-old had the last laugh. Wilson also broke a rare WNBA record in the game, while Thomas missed on the triple-double by one assist. Draymond Green was not happy with the Aces’ forward’s defensive strategy, though.
Draymond Green Criticizes A’ja Wilson’s Defense Of Alyssa Thomas
The WNBA is in its final phase of the 2025 season, with the Aces and Mercury needing four wins to lift the trophy. Any error would impact the result, and hence everyone needs to be in their best position to avoid mistakes. For the superstar players, there is even less margin for error, and Draymond Green spotted one major mistake that Wilson made in Game 1.
The former Defensive Player of the Year winner knows the importance of defensive positioning and plays to win the games. He mentioned that the Aces’ forward’s strategy was to cover Alyssa Thomas on the ball.
In a post he wrote, “Can’t understand why Aces are switching on AT and then going to help. Giving up open 3s… make AT score over A’ja with no help. AT as a passer is super Dangerous.”
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Alyssa Thomas is an efficient scorer, putting Wilson on her would limit her chances of scoring, but for the South Carolina Star, she is anchoring her defense near the rim to cut the layups and mid-range shots, while other defenders are covering up AT.
While the Aces are double-teaming Tomas, they are allowing a perimeter shooter an open look. Considering Thomas’ passing ability, the Aces should keep checks on every Mercury player on the court, as per Green.
A’ja Wilson Found Support From Bench Players In Game 1
The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Indiana Fever behind A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young’s offensive play. The Olympian guard even stepped up on the defensive end with Young entering the top two standing in steals for the franchise. But she looked ineffective in Game 1 against the Mercury.
In that crucial game, Dana Evans and Jewel Lloyd stepped up, combining for 37 points for the team. But it was not only offensive duty that the duo handled; they even came up big on the defensive end. Evans had two defensive rebounds and four steals, while Lloyd collected four defensive rebounds.
While Green was looking for AT vs Wilson faceoff, Becky Hammon also looked to improve on her team’s defense for Game 2 on Sunday, October 5.