WNBA Playoffs: The Aces finally arrive, making a statement and turning the series around.

LAS VEGAS — Becky Hammon stayed patient and trusted this version of the Las Vegas Aces. At their peak, the two-time champs excel when their trio of guards plays seamlessly around three-time MVP A’ja Wilson. This version had been missing for much of the season, and it certainly wasn’t present during the first two semifinal games in Brooklyn.

“We were waiting for that, too,” Chelsea Gray said after skillfully guiding the Aces’ offense back to form.

The Aces didn’t just escape elimination; they shifted into high gear with a commanding 95-81 home victory on Friday, keeping their season and hopes of a three-peat alive. The close game broke wide open in the third quarter, which the Aces dominated 21-6. The Liberty still lead the series 2-1, with a chance to secure a Finals spot on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC).

Jackie Young topped the scoreboard with 24 points and 4 three-pointers. Kelsey Plum added 20 points, shooting an impressive 63.6%. Wilson contributed a solid 19-point, 14-rebound performance. Gray was near a double-double herself with 10 points and seven assists, making precision passes no one else saw. Tiffany Hayes, newly named Sixth Player of the Year, chipped in 11 valuable points off the bench. These are the same Aces who won two championships, and just two hours before tipoff, Hammon said she expected them to show up “any time now.” Right on cue, they delivered, with Michelob Ultra Arena packed to its 25th consecutive sold-out crowd.

“Everything was just on point with everyone,” Hammon said afterward. “I think that was probably our most complete game of the season.”

For the first time in the series, Wilson made her presence felt early, starting with a turnaround jumper after Gray’s game-opening block. She added a pull-up shot and a three-pointer in the first three minutes. Young took control, responding to a Liberty three and handing the reins to Gray, who scored seven of her 10 points in the first half.

Hammon sent a clear message to Gray after Game 1, both privately and publicly, saying the point guard needed to “take her matchup personally” and not let Betnijah Laney-Hamilton “punk you.” Gray, who had been limited to four points and one assist in Game 1, built on her 14-point, seven-assist effort from Game 2. In Game 3, she breezed past the Liberty’s All-Defensive standout midway through the second quarter and fed a rolling Wilson to dominate the paint, an area they had previously struggled with. Despite the Aces and Liberty trading leads throughout the first half—18 lead changes and 8 ties by the 2:55 mark—the Aces held a narrow 52-49 lead at halftime, with most stats nearly even.

But it was all Aces from there.

“Even though we were only down three at halftime, it didn’t feel right,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said. “This wasn’t how we play.”

The third quarter was even worse for Liberty fans. Wilson hit a jumper on a pass from Young, who followed with a three-pointer. Plum added a finger-roll layup, and Gray nailed a three to cap the 21-6 run that effectively ended the sweep threat. The Liberty didn’t score from the 8:02 mark (Aces led 57-54) until 26.2 seconds remained (73-55).

“We were locked in defensively and on the boards,” Gray said. “We were focused on that end of the floor. Holding a team like that to six points in a quarter was huge. They have scorers, so doing that was key.”

Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty’s top scorer, nearly finished the night scoreless. She didn’t make her first point until a technical free throw early in the fourth quarter. Her only basket came on a three-pointer with 8:08 left. Hammon had challenged her team to at least earn a C-plus in guarding the Liberty’s most improved player.

When it mattered most, the team achieved an A-plus performance. Brondello praised their sense of urgency and the way they limited Ionescu’s space to operate. Gray noted their focus on details after allowing too many layups in the first two games. The Aces dominated the paint, outscoring the Liberty 42-28, including a 20-10 advantage in the second half.

Ionescu managed to score fewer than 10 points twice this season, both in limited minutes. Breanna Stewart also struggled, finishing with 19 points. Both she and Brondello mentioned before the game that it would be the toughest match to win against a team determined to do whatever it takes to stay alive.

“They’re going to be aggressive, they’ll leverage their fans, and they’ll ride the momentum,” Stewart said after the game. “I think we weren’t fully prepared for that. We didn’t embrace the challenges because this isn’t easy. We learned that tonight.”

Jonquel Jones was sidelined for the last four minutes of the first half due to three fouls and didn’t reach the team’s usual goal of a double-double, finishing with 11 points and six rebounds. Leonie Fiebich contributed 10 points, while Courtney Vandersloot, who received an unusual technical foul for arguing a travel call during the Liberty’s scoring drought in the third quarter, added nine points off the bench.

“They came out and executed as they should,” Brondello said. “Now the focus is on how we respond on Sunday.”