Fever Down 0-1, Face Must-Win Game 2 After Aces Rout

A'ja Wilson's 38-point, 16-rebound, four-block Game 1 masterpiece gave the Aces a 102-85 win and left Indiana facing elimination on Tuesday.

The third-seeded Las Vegas Aces trounced the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever 102-85 on Sunday, September 27, in Las Vegas to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three WNBA first-round playoff series, per the Associated Press. A hostile crowd booed Caitlin Clark when she touched the ball, a stark contrast to the road games Indiana usually plays before adoring crowds. The Fever must now win Tuesday night at home to force a deciding Game 3 back in Las Vegas.

The Aces' superstar delivered a spectacular two-way performance: 38 points on 15-for-19 shooting, 16 rebounds, two steals and four blocks, according to Yahoo Sports. Wilson had no answer from the Fever, who had guarded her better than most teams during the regular season. The dominance came hours after Wilson was named the Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year for an unprecedented third year in a row. The Fever had no reply from their own stars, as Clark and Mitchell both shot well below 50 percent, and Indiana allowed 102 points on 59 percent shooting.

Yahoo Sports reports that the Fever's joint postgame press conference went viral, with fans believing Clark and coach Stephanie White blamed each other for the loss. Clark called the team's actions "sloppy" and said, "I thought what we were running wasn't great; nobody was getting an open look." White pointed to turnovers and execution: "28 points off turnovers... 17 points at the free-throw line. Those are easy buckets." Yahoo Sports notes Clark accounted for six of Indiana's 17 turnovers, and that fans reacted with comments like "This fake friendship will be over soon" while praising Clark for calling out the schemes. Clark also graded the defense an "F."

The Aces and Fever committed 17 turnovers apiece, but Las Vegas converted its miscues far more efficiently. According to Yahoo Sports, Indiana surrendered 28 points off turnovers while generating 10 fewer points off turnovers itself, and the Aces also cashed in 17 free-throw points. Coach Stephanie White told reporters that transition defense starts with offensive execution, emphasizing those easy buckets were the difference. With the teams otherwise fairly matched across the board, Yahoo Sports notes the Aces' edge came at the free-throw line and in the midrange — margins that a win-now Fever roster can ill afford against a dynasty.

The Aces have won three of the past four WNBA championships and went 9-4 in close-out games in 2022, 2023 and 2025, the years they won titles, per the Associated Press. Las Vegas beat Indiana in last season's semifinals before sweeping Phoenix in the Finals, though the Fever pushed that deciding Game 5 to overtime. Indiana was the league's highest-scoring regular-season team at 96.0 points per game, with the Aces second at 91.5, so an upset would be seismic. "That's not a team you want to give any life to," Aces coach Becky Hammon said of the Fever. Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Wilson form the core of the dynasty.

"We're looking at it like we didn't play our best basketball... but we have another chance at home," All-Star post player Aliyah Boston said, per the Associated Press. Coach Stephanie White wants improvements on both ends, warning that Vegas will make tough shots. Notably, both coaches told the Associated Press they criticized the best-of-three first-round format and suggested it should be five games to cut down on travel — a change that may come in future years.