Wilson Leads Las Vegas to Series Win
A’ja Wilson scored 36 points to lead the Las Vegas Aces to a 94-83 win over the Indiana Fever on Thursday night. The victory came in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. With the win, the defending champion Aces advanced to the next round. They will face the winner of the Golden State-Dallas series. That series will be decided on Friday night in San Francisco.
A Strong Performance from the Four-Time MVP
Wilson made sure her play did the talking. She finished the game with 36 points and 10 rebounds. She made 11 of her 18 shots from the field. This came after she opened the series with 38 points and 16 rebounds in Game 1. Earlier in the week, A’ja Wilson had a verbal confrontation with a Fever fan in Indianapolis. The league did not punish her for that incident. Instead of letting it become a distraction, Wilson responded with two huge games to help her team win the series.
Other Key Contributors for Las Vegas
Chelsea Gray added 23 points for the Aces. Jackie Young scored 18 points. Jewell Loyd, who started in place of the injured Stephanie Talbot, scored 11 points. Talbot did not play because of a leg injury. She had started all but one game this season and averaged 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in the first two games of the series.
Indiana’s Effort Falls Short
Caitlin Clark scored 11 points in the first quarter for Indiana. However, she was held to just seven points for the rest of the game. Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 23 points. Aliyah Boston had a strong game with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Fever were seeded sixth and were eliminated by the Aces for the second year in a row. Last season, the two teams met in the semifinals, and Las Vegas won the deciding game in overtime.
A Physical and Tense Game
The game was physical and intense from the start. It had the feel of a WNBA Finals game. Just over three minutes into the first quarter, Clark and Las Vegas forward Brianna Turner each received a technical foul. The Fever were huddling on the court when Turner walked into the group. Clark shoved her out of the way. Early in the second quarter, Indiana coach Stephanie White was called for a technical foul. She was arguing that Turner should have been called for a foul on Lexie Hull instead of Hull being called for it.
The Aces Held On in the Fourth
The Aces looked like they might pull away in the third quarter. They took a 67-55 lead. But they went cold over the final 4:32 of the quarter, making just one shot. The Fever fought back and twice cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter. That made Las Vegas sweat out the ending. In the end, the Aces made enough plays to secure the win and move on.
What’s Next for the Aces?
The Aces have now won three of the past four WNBA titles. They will now wait to see who they play next. The Golden State-Dallas series will decide their opponent. Las Vegas will be looking to continue their championship run. For Indiana, the season ends in the first round for the second straight year at the hands of the Aces. Caitlin Clark and the Fever will now head into the offseason looking to improve and come back stronger next year.
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