The Sunday began with a historic news: A’ja Wilson, star of the Las Vegas Aces, became the first player in league history to win four MVP awards.
However, the joy didn’t last long for the Aces. Hours later, on their own court, the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever pulled off the upset by stealing the first game of the WNBA semifinal series, defeating the second-seeded Aces with a score of 89-73 at the Michelob Ultra Arena.
Kelsey Mitchell of the Fever led the offense with 34 points, making 12 of 23 shots. This performance makes her the first Fever player to score 30 points in a playoff game since 2012.
On the other hand, Wilson, despite his recent award, had a difficult night, scoring only 16 points and missing his first six shots. The Aces, after a streak of 17 consecutive victories, have lost two of their last three games.
How did Indiana take the victory?
Indiana proved to be a faster team with more urgency from the start of the match. The aggressiveness of the Fever players’ game, especially Mitchell and Odyssey Sims, set the pace of the game, something the Aces couldn’t respond to.
Indiana’s confidence, after winning two consecutive games against the Atlanta Dream in the first round, moved to Las Vegas.
The Aces found no answer for Mitchell, who scored 34 points, his playoff best, on 12-of-23 shooting. Sims also caused problems with 17 points and 7-of-13 shooting.
With Wilson struggling with her shot and the Las Vegas defenses unable to stop their rivals, the Aces were unable to counter Indiana’s offensive efficiency, which reached 50% shooting accuracy.
How will Las Vegas react in the second game?
The Aces will need to adjust their defense. After ranking ninth in defensive rating at the start of the season, they improved to second during their winning streak. However, the Fever managed to score 1.11 points per possession, the most allowed by the Aces since a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx on August 2.
Especially, Indiana took advantage of the paint area, scoring 50 points. The Aces had only allowed more points on five occasions during the season.
Another obvious adjustment for Las Vegas is to improve Wilson’s performance. Indiana limited the Aces’ three-point opportunities, who only attempted 17 shots. Despite the individual coverage on Wilson, the Fever managed to hold her to 6 of 22 shots, her worst record in a playoff game.
The series, with a best-of-five format, gives Las Vegas a margin for error. The Aces lost the first game of the 2020 semifinals before coming back and defeating the Connecticut Sun in five games.
Las Vegas remains the favorite in the series, but the second game is crucial. No team has come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a WNBA playoff series.
During their 17-game winning streak, the Aces only beat three playoff teams away from home, so losing home-court advantage could be a determining factor. The loss at the Michelob Ultra Arena forces Las Vegas to seek victory in Indiana. The Fever’s victory also demonstrates that their two regular season wins against the Aces were no fluke, as Indiana has won three of the four matchups between the two teams.
