A’ja Wilson: Aces to have better sense of urgency vs. Fever for deciding Game 3

The defending champion Las Vegas Aces were unable to close out their first-round series against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, as Caitlin Clark and the Fever forced a decisive Game 3 at Michelob Ultra Arena on Thursday.

Containing Indiana’s three-headed offensive attack of Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston was a major factor in the Aces’ Game 1 victory as the trio that averaged a league-best 63.1 points during the regular season struggled.

Clark and Mitchell combined for 27 points while shooting 30 percent from the field, while Boston couldn’t generate chances early as the Aces built a game-high 27-point lead before she finished with a team-high 18 points.

Game 3 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday on USA Network and CNBC. The winner will advance to face either the Golden State Valkyries or Dallas Wings in the WNBA semifinals.

The Aces will have to step up their offense in Game 3. Las Vegas was held to fewer than 20 points in both the second and third quarters of Game 2 and the Aces struggled to find defensive stops as the Fever increased their intensity and physicality.

With their backs against the wall, A’ja Wilson said the difference in Indiana’s approach was noticeable.

“(Indiana’s) intensity was just a lot higher, so I think they made an adjustment there,” Wilson said. “It was just a sense of urgency that they were playing with and had us on our heels the same way that we had them in Game 1.

“We will be back, we will adjust and we will come back with a better sense of urgency, effort and heart.”

Indiana’s scoring trio surpassed 20 points in Game 2, led by Clark, who became the first player in WNBA history to record a double-double with points and assists in a half after entering halftime (14 points and 11 assists).

The former No. 1 overall pick finished with 27 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds despite fouling out with more than two minutes remaining.

Mitchell followed with 26 points, including three 3-pointers, while shooting 43 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free-throw line.

Indiana’s leading scorer during the regular season bounced back after shooting 25 percent from the field on 16 attempts in Game 1.

Boston also surpassed 20 points, giving Indiana three players with at least 20 points for the first time in the series.

Aces coach Becky Hammon was adamant that the defensive performance was not up to the team’s standard.

“We know when we’re a good defensive team we become very elite offensively,” Hammon said. “I didn’t think we were a good defensive team tonight, not in any area, not in post defense, not in guard play.

“We were not good defensively tonight.”

The Game 2 loss also continued a recent shift in the matchup. Since 2025, the Aces are 6-7 against Indiana in regular-season and playoff games combined while the Fever have averaged 86.1 points per game against Las Vegas.

However, as the series returns to Las Vegas, the Aces have one more opportunity to advance on their home court.

Wilson understands the importance of having the higher seed and playing the decisive game at Michelob Ultra Arena, but also knows the Aces must make adjustments to avoid another performance like Game 2.

“It is a beautiful thing to have the higher seed and to go back home, but it doesn’t matter,” Wilson said. “We have got to have a better showing than what we did and we will.”

Contact Donovan Hicks at dhicks@reviewjournal.com. Follow @HicksSports on X.