A’ja Wilson Makes History, But Indiana Fever Shocks the Aces
The Sunday began with historic news: A’ja Wilson, star of the Las Vegas Aces, became the first player in league history to win four MVP awards.
However, hours later, on the Aces’ court, the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever pulled off a surprise by stealing Game 1 of their WNBA semi-final series, defeating the second-seeded Aces with a score of 89-73 at the Michelob Ultra Arena.
Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana led the attack with 34 points, shooting 12 of 23. This performance makes her the first Fever player to score 30 points in a playoff game since 2012.
Wilson, for his part, finished with 16 points, with a low 6 of 22 field goals. After a streak of 17 consecutive victories, the Aces have lost two of their last three games.How Indiana Took the Victory?
Indiana proved to be a faster team with greater urgency from the start of the game. The aggressive play of the Fever’s backcourt, led by Mitchell and Odyssey Sims, set the pace, to which the Aces could not respond. The confidence gained after winning two consecutive games against the Atlanta Dream in the first round, was transferred to Las Vegas.
The Aces found no answer for Mitchell, regardless of who defended her. Her 34 points were her playoff high, with an efficiency of 12 of 23 shots, making it one of the best performances in Fever playoff history. The Aces struggled to defend Mitchell, allowing her to find space for the shot. Mitchell made 4 of 6 three-point attempts. Sims also caused problems for Las Vegas, with 17 points and an effectiveness of 7 of 13 shots.
With Wilson battling from the field and Las Vegas’ defenses unable to defend effectively, the Aces didn’t have enough answers to overcome Mitchell, Indiana’s offensive efficiency, and their 50% shooting.How Will Las Vegas Respond in Game 2?
The Aces will need to adjust their defense. After ranking ninth in the WNBA in defensive rating during a 14-14 start to the season, Las Vegas improved to second during their winning streak, allowing less than a point per possession. The Storm easily surpassed that mark to break the streak in Game 2 of the first round, and the Fever’s 1.11 points per possession were the most the Aces have allowed since their 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx on August 2.
In particular, Indiana punished Las Vegas in the paint, scoring 50 points. The Aces only allowed more than that amount five times all season.
The other obvious adjustment for Las Vegas is to get Wilson involved. Just like in the first round against Atlanta, Indiana did a good job taking away three-point opportunities from the Aces, who only attempted 17. The trade is a one-on-one coverage against Wilson in the post, but the Fever held the MVP to 6 of 22 shooting, her most missed shots in a playoff game.
We saw the Storm have similar success defending Wilson 1-on-1 at the end of Game 2. She responded with 38 points on 14 of 26 shooting in the series-deciding game.
The best-of-five series gives Las Vegas a margin for error. The Aces lost Game 1 of the 2020 semifinals before coming back to beat the Connecticut Sun in five games, although in a series played entirely on neutral courts at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Las Vegas remains the favorite in the series, but Game 2 is now essentially win or die for the Aces. No team has come back from 2-0 to win a WNBA playoff series, and only one of the 19 teams in that situation (2018 Phoenix Mercury, against Seattle in the semifinals) even forced a Game 5.
During their 17-game winning streak, the Aces only beat three playoff teams on the road (Phoenix, Atlanta, Golden State), so losing home-court advantage could matter. That dominance at Michelob ULTRA is gone, and Las Vegas knows it must now get a win in Indiana. Meanwhile, the Fever’s victory also dispels any idea that their two regular season wins over Las Vegas were not significant because the Aces hadn’t yet reached their peak. Indiana has now won three of the four matchups between the two teams.
