PHOENIX, Arizona — In the echoing aftermath of the final buzzer, A’ja Wilson stood in the center of the court, gold confetti raining around her. One hand clutched the Finals MVP trophy. The other, a bright pink tambourine she shook with the same rhythm that had driven the Las Vegas Aces to their third WNBA championship in four years.

On this night, she didn’t just lead a team — she carved her name into basketball’s Mount Everest.

From MVP to Immortal

It was Wilson’s 31-point masterpiece in Game 4 that sealed the Aces’ 2025 title over the Phoenix Mercury — the first four-game sweep in Finals history. That performance tied the record for most points in a championship-clinching game and confirmed what fans already knew: the 29-year-old forward from South Carolina has transcended the sport.

She became the first player in WNBA or NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP — all in the same season.

“She’s not just great,” said head coach Becky Hammon (Wikipedia), who has guided the Aces through their golden era. “By the time it’s all said and done, she’ll be the greatest to ever do it.”

Hammon often describes Wilson through animal metaphors — “a gazelle for grace, a lion for power, and now an elk for dominance.” Wilson laughs about it: “If you could combine all of those animals, you’d get A’ja.”

Rising From Defeat

Wilson’s road to greatness wasn’t paved with gold — it began in heartbreak.

In 2020, after being named MVP in the pandemic bubble season, she led the Aces to the WNBA Finals, only to be swept. The following year, her potential game-tying shot was blocked by Brittney Griner (Wikipedia), ending their playoff hopes. “It crushed a little girl’s heart,” Wilson later admitted.

That pain forged her resilience. “Getting swept made me hungrier,” she told ESPN. “Every day since then, I’ve worked like I’m still chasing something.”

When Becky Hammon replaced Bill Laimbeer as head coach, she immediately saw Wilson’s limitless ceiling. “She doesn’t have any limitations — physically or mentally,” Hammon said. “Her willingness to grow is what makes her unstoppable.”

A Dynasty Forged in Belief

This season didn’t start like one destined for glory. Midway through the campaign, the Aces sat at 12-13 — uninspired and doubted. Critics whispered that their dynasty was over.

Wilson heard every word.

“Greatness,” she said after Game 4, “is doing the right thing even when nobody’s watching. It’s being great when the lights aren’t on you.”

Her relentless work ethic sparked a 16-game win streak that carried the Aces through the playoffs. Teammate Jewell Loyd (Wikipedia) said, “When your best player is the hardest worker, nobody else gets to take a play off.”

By the Finals, Phoenix Mercury defenders — including Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner — could only watch as Wilson soared over them, delivering her now-iconic Game 3 buzzer-beater. Hammon texted her afterward: “Elks can jump eight feet high.”

Beyond the Numbers

Wilson’s record speaks for itself — 114 points in the Finals, 322 in the postseason, both all-time highs. But her greatness, teammates say, lies in leadership and composure.

“She’s done everything,” said Chelsea Gray (Wikipedia), who has shared the backcourt with Wilson through every championship run. “Tell me something she hasn’t done. She’s won, she’s led, and she’s changed what’s possible.”

At just 29, Wilson now sits among legends — Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie, and Tamika Catchings — but even they acknowledge that she’s charting new territory.

“You have your Mount Rushmore,” Hammon said, smiling after the title celebration. “But A’ja’s sitting alone on Everest.”

Legacy of a GOAT

For Wilson, this wasn’t just about titles or records. It was about redemption — for every time she fell short, for every critic who doubted her ability to lead.

When asked what drives her now, she paused, eyes glistening under arena lights:
“I play for the little girl who thought she wasn’t good enough. She deserved this moment. And now she’s here.”

And as the Aces danced across the court, tambourines jingling in rhythm with champagne sprays, one truth was clear — A’ja Wilson isn’t chasing greatness anymore. She’s defining it.
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A storm hit the digital markets this week — and its epicenter wasn’t in Wall Street, Beijing, or Silicon Valley, but in Washington D.C. After Donald Trump reaffirmed his plan to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, panic swept across global markets. Within 24 hours, more than 1.6 million crypto traders were liquidated, and over $19.3 billion in positions were wiped out.

According to CoinGlass data, the 24-hour bloodbath marked one of the most severe deleveraging events of 2025, sending shockwaves through the entire crypto ecosystem.

$20 Billion Gone in a Day: The Breakdown

The majority of the damage came from long positions — $16.83 billion, to be precise — while short positions contributed $2.49 billion to the collapse.

Leading the losses were Bitcoin and Ethereum, which saw $5.38 billion and $4.43 billion in liquidations respectively. Solana followed with $2.01 billion, and XRP recorded $708 million in losses.

One of the largest single liquidations occurred on Hyperliquid, where an ETH-USDT position worth $203 million was wiped out. In total, exchanges saw over $10.3 billion in forced liquidations as traders scrambled to cover margin calls.

“It was a textbook panic cascade,” said Daniel Chung, a senior crypto strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, describing it as “a perfect storm of leverage, politics, and emotion.”

Trump’s Tariff Threat Sparks Global Sell-Off

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Just hours after Trump threatened a “massive increase in tariffs” against China, markets spiraled. The move was reportedly a response to Beijing’s new export restrictions on products containing over 0.1% rare earth elements — a measure seen as retaliation for prior U.S. sanctions.

By Friday evening, Bitcoin had tumbled from $122,000 to $113,600, briefly dipping below the $102,000 mark before stabilizing. The global crypto market cap plunged over 9% to $3.8 trillion — its steepest single-day drop since 2022.

Trump later confirmed the 100% tariffs, hinting he “may reconsider” before November 1 if Beijing makes trade concessions. But by then, the damage was done.

Crypto Whales Cash In Amid Chaos

While millions of traders were liquidated, a few walked away with extraordinary gains. An on-chain analyst known as @mlmabc on X (Twitter) reported that one Hyperliquid whale shorted nine figures worth of BTC and ETH, pocketing an estimated $190 million profit.

Speculation is growing that such coordinated trades may have accelerated Friday’s crash. “It looked engineered,” said crypto analyst Megan Li, adding that “the timing of the short positions lined up perfectly with Trump’s tariff announcement.”

🇺🇸 Trump’s Political Turbulence Deepens

The crypto crash came just as Trump’s approval ratings hit new lows amid an ongoing government shutdown.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 40% of Americans currently approve of his performance, while 58% disapprove. Another HarrisX survey showed a slightly better 46% approval, underscoring the deep partisan divide in Washington.

The shutdown — triggered by Congress’s failure to pass spending bills before October 1 — has further strained investor confidence. On Polymarket, 86% of traders now expect the shutdown to continue beyond October 15.

“We’re watching an administration fighting fires on every front — trade, crypto, and governance,” said Dr. Alex Navarro, a policy analyst at Georgetown University. “The markets are reflecting that chaos.”

Warren Raises Ethical Concerns Over Trump’s Crypto Ties

Meanwhile, Senator Elizabeth Warren has renewed criticism of Trump’s alleged ties to crypto firms, warning of potential ethical conflicts if he profits from crypto ventures while in office.

Her office stated, “Any sitting president with direct financial exposure to volatile markets like crypto poses serious governance risks.”

Despite the controversy, Trump’s pro-crypto stance remains a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign. Supporters argue that his policies could help bring clarity to U.S. digital asset regulation, while critics see them as self-serving.

Analysts Predict Short-Term Rebound — But Damage Done

Market strategists believe a tariff reversal could spark a short-term rebound in crypto valuations. However, the immediate losses are irreversible — nearly $20 billion gone overnight, and a shaken investor base.

“Even if prices recover, confidence takes much longer,” said Anthony Pompliano, a well-known crypto investor. “This event proves again that global politics can move Bitcoin faster than any algorithm.”

As the world watches the next move from Washington and Beijing, one thing is certain — the volatility that fuels the crypto dream has never felt more real.
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SEATTLE:
It was nearly five hours of baseball chaos, a night where hope and heartbreak danced together until Jorge Polanco delivered a moment Seattle will remember forever. With a clutch single in the 15th inning, the Seattle Mariners outlasted the Detroit Tigers 3–2, sealing their ticket to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the first time since 2001.

The marathon game at T-Mobile Park tested every ounce of endurance from both teams — 15 pitchers, 472 pitches, and a crowd of 47,025 fans whose roars refused to fade. When the dust settled, Seattle wasn’t just victorious — it was reborn.

“An incredible win for Seattle — which means it was an incredible loss for us,” said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. “That was an epic game.”

The Night That Wouldn’t End

Mariners pitcher George Kirby, who started strong but later watched from the dugout, summed it up best:

“From the eighth inning on, I had a massive headache. I’m just glad that game is over.”

The game indeed felt endless. It began as a pitchers’ duel between Tarik Skubal of Detroit and Kirby. Skubal was electric — his 99th pitch clocked 101 mph, giving him 13 strikeouts, a career high. But as he exited in the sixth inning, the Mariners pounced. Leo Rivas, celebrating his 28th birthday, hit a pinch-hit single to tie it 2–2 — a score that refused to budge for nearly three more hours.

Relievers Turned Heroes

The night transformed into a bullpen war. Both managers — Dan Wilson for Seattle and Hinch for Detroit — shuffled pitchers like chess pieces. The Mariners saw Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Matt Brash, and Andrés Muñoz take the mound in relief, while Detroit leaned on Will Vest, Rafael Montero, and Jack Flaherty.

It was survival baseball. Seattle loaded the bases twice — in the 10th and 12th — but Detroit’s defense held firm with double plays. Every pitch in extra innings carried the weight of a season, every miss drawing groans from a city that has waited 24 years for this very night.

“You can’t say enough about what those guys did out of the bullpen,” Wilson said postgame, champagne dripping from his cap.

Polanco’s Defining Moment

When Tommy Kahnle came in for Detroit in the 15th inning, the crowd sensed something brewing. J.P. Crawford singled, Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch, and Cal Raleigh’s deep fly allowed the runners to advance. Hinch ordered an intentional walk for Julio Rodríguez, loading the bases — and setting up Polanco.

“I was just looking for a pitch to hit,” said Jorge Polanco. “When I saw the changeup, I went for it.”

The ball whizzed past first and second base as Crawford sprinted home. The stadium erupted — a wall of sound so deafening, players could barely hear each other. Polanco threw his helmet in joy, chased by teammates who drowned him in champagne minutes later.

“I have so much gratitude,” Polanco said softly after the chaos.

Echoes of 1995

It’s hard not to draw parallels with Seattle’s legendary 1995 ALDS win over the New York Yankees, when Edgar Martínez drove in Ken Griffey Jr. for the walk-off that defined a generation.

Before Friday’s game, Griffey himself appeared on a red sports car during pre-game ceremonies — a fitting symbol of history repeating itself. And just like that night in 1995, Seattle once again witnessed baseball magic at home.

24 Years of Waiting Ends

For Mariners fans, this wasn’t just a win — it was the end of a drought. The last time they reached the ALCS, George W. Bush was president and “Nokia phones” were the trend. Now, with a new roster of stars and a city rekindled by belief, Seattle stands two series away from a World Series dream.

“It’s not just about baseball,” a fan shouted outside T-Mobile Park. “It’s about what it means to our city — after all these years.”

As fireworks lit up the Seattle skyline, one thing became certain — this wasn’t just another postseason victory. It was a night of redemption, resilience, and rebirth for the Mariners.
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