ALYSHA CLARK

A’ja Wilson had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces advanced to the finals for the third time in four years, beating the Dallas Wings 64-61 for a three-game sweep.

Breanna Stewart of New York wins AP Player of the Year award for the second straight season.

Breanna Stewart had 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Sue Bird added season highs of 18 points and 10 assists, and the Seattle Storm beat the Washington Mystics 97-84 to sweep their opening-round series.

The WNBA playoff chase may come down to the final day of the regular season on Sept. 19.

The WNBA season is only a few weeks old and there already have been five games that have decided in overtime.

The WNBA is back and celebrating its silver anniversary.

Taurasi is staying in Phoenix while Alysha Clark is heading across the country to join the Washington Mystics. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)NEW YORK – Diana Taurasi is staying in Phoenix while Alysha Clark is heading across the country to join the Washington Mystics. Unlike Parker, there was no real expectation the 38-year-old Taurasi would leave the team that drafted her No. Clark also led the WNBA in 3-point field goal percentage (52.2) for the second consecutive season. Change is never easy but having teammates and an organization excited to have you join their family makes it better,” Clark said.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday, Jan. 27, because no official announcement is allowed until Feb. 1. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)Candace Parker is headed home and Kayla McBride is getting a fresh start in Minnesota. that she would be signing with the Lynx once free agents can officially ink deals Monday. Nearly 75% of the players on the Sparks' roster are free agents. That’s led to increased player movement from our roster.”Two players who are free agents but won't be moving are Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm never really got a chance to defend their 2018 championship because of key injuries. “I don’t know if any of us are thinking that way,” Stewart said after the Storm completed a three-game sweep of the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night by setting a WNBA Finals record with a 33-point win. The 26-year-old won a second WNBA Finals MVP as a unanimous choice and was nearly unstoppable in the championship round. Bird, who turns 40 next week, has been a part of all four of the Storm championships during three decades. I just kind of start working out and see how I feel,” said Bird, who averaged 11 assists in the WNBA Finals.

Las Vegas couldn't respond. A'ja Wilson had 20 points to lead Las Vegas while Angel McCoughtry and Emma Cannon added 17 each. The Aces led 65-64 with 3:22 left in the period before the Storm closed with a 11-3 burst. The Storm, who had 17 assists on their 18 baskets, built the lead to 13 before Las Vegas rallied to the six-point halftime deficit. ... Stewart had her fifth consecutive 20-point game in the WNBA Finals spanning back to the 2018 season.

“She knows who she is, she knows where she’s going,” said Las Vegas coach Bill Laimbeer. “I feel like I'm a more complete player now then when I first got into the league,” Wilson said in an online interview. The second team included Phoenix teammates Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith, Connecticut teammates DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas, and Minnesota's Napheesa Collier. POWER POLLThe Las Vegas Aces finished atop the AP Power Poll, a spot they held for three of the final four weeks of the season. A'ja Wilson also received votes after she led Las Vegas to the top seed in the postseason.