WNBA Semifinals: Will Fever Surprise Aces? Analysis and Predictions

Excitement in the WNBA: The Semifinals are Red Hot!

Two electrifying games, defined by game-winning shots in the final seconds. Have you caught your breath yet? In the WNBA playoffs, Aliyah Boston scored the game-winning shot with 7.4 seconds remaining, securing the victory for the Indiana Fever and their advance to the semifinals, marking their first series win in 10 years. Hours later, Jackie Young, with an offensive rebound play, sealed the victory for the Las Vegas Aces and their return to the semifinals. Now, both teams will face each other on Sunday in Game 1 of a best-of-five series. In the other bracket, the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx await the winner of Game 3 between the New York Liberty and the Phoenix Mercury.

Analysis of the Matchups and Predictions for the Finals

(2) Las Vegas Aces vs. (6) Indiana Fever

Regular Season Series: Indiana 2-1 Las Vegas

• June 22: Aces 89, Fever 81 (in Las Vegas)
• July 3: Fever 81, Aces 54 (in Indiana)
• July 24: Fever 80, Aces 70 (in Indiana)

First round: After losing the first game in Atlanta, Indiana dominated Dream at home to force a third game. Despite trailing for almost 30 minutes, the Fever managed to win in a decisive Game 3. Las Vegas easily won their first home game, then lost a close Game 2 when the Storm outscored the Aces 25-14 in the final quarter. On Thursday, the Aces won a back-and-forth final quarter to beat Seattle and win their series.

What people say about the Aces

Becky Hammon expressed her concern about the Storm’s ability to neutralize the Aces’ 3-point shots in the 74-73 Game 3 victory, where the Aces went 3-for-12 from the three-point line. This put even more pressure on A’ja Wilson.

Becky Hammon

One of the key moments of the game was Young’s offensive rebound after a miss by Wilson, which resulted in the winning basket. The experience of the Wilson, Young, and Chelsea Gray trio was crucial to overcoming the first round and could be decisive in advancing to the WNBA Finals. Hammon commented that in Game 2 against Seattle, the Aces didn’t defend the whole court, which cost them dearly. They improved in Game 3, but even so, the game was decided in the final moments. Although it was stressful, the first-round series and the test they faced could have been the best thing before facing Indiana in the semifinals.

What is said about Fever

Even during the regular season, despite the injuries, the Fever maintained their ambitions and the possibility of making noise in the playoffs. Mission accomplished. Although some doubted them against the Dream, the Fever never wavered in their confidence. After Thursday’s game, Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard praised Stephanie White, highlighting her leadership and support during the season, which led White to become emotional. To advance to the semifinals, this group has achieved winning plays on both ends of the court, but their chemistry and cohesion have been fundamental.

How they are paired

The Fever won the regular season series 2-1, both victories without Caitlin Clark. However, all three matchups were before the Aces established a 17-game winning streak that propelled them back into the title conversation. Furthermore, prior to Indiana’s success this season, Las Vegas dominated the series, with 16 consecutive wins against the Fever, the second-longest streak against a single opponent in WNBA history. South Carolina fans will be divided to see stars Wilson and Aliyah Boston face off. Both teams have excellent point guards: Mitchell for the Fever and Young, Gray, and Jewell Loyd for the Aces. Las Vegas has an advantage in depth and experience: it will be their seventh consecutive appearance in the semifinals; Indiana hadn’t made it this far in the postseason since 2015.

Caption: Aliyah Boston, on the left, and A’ja Wilson, former South Carolina players, will face each other in the WNBA semifinals.Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire

What will most impact the series

Loyd has the opportunity to be an X-factor, especially if he’s confident from the three-point line. His ability to stretch the defense can make a big difference for the Aces to dominate games. He doesn’t need to be the star scorer she was in Seattle, but she will need to make an impact in every game. Indiana needs a third scorer behind Mitchell and Boston. Will Howard be able to take on that role? The Fever also hopes that Lexie Hull will perform well from the three-point line and that Odyssey Sims will have great games as a point guard. Las Vegas will advance if: The Aces are able to defend at the highest level, as in their Game 1 victory against Seattle. They kept the Storm uncomfortable for most of the game, and they will look to do the same against a Fever team that can have offensive droughts. Young is the main perimeter defender and will look to slow down Mitchell as much as possible, but Wilson said the Aces can’t let Young do it alone. The rest of the Aces also need to provide a little more offensive support to Wilson, although she is used to carrying a heavy load. Indiana will advance if: The Fever have had issues with defensive consistency this season, but will need to be at their best to slow down an Aces team that had the league’s best offense during their 16-game winning streak at the end of the regular season. That includes defending without fouling, which has been a problem for Indiana at times. Offensively, they can’t rely too much on Mitchell to score and desperately need to have more success from the three-point line: they only shot 29% from 3 in the first round.

Who will win the series?

• Kendra Andrews: Aces in 4
• Charlie Creme: Aces in 4
• Kevin Pelton: Aces in 5
• Alexa Philippou: Aces in 5
• Michael Voepel: Aces in 5