‘We have to regroup’: Aces lack urgency in loss to Fever, face win-or-go-home Game 3

INDIANAPOLIS — A’ja Wilson noticed it as soon as the matchup began Tuesday night against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Las Vegas Aces didn’t come to defend.

“We scout and we see them,” Wilson said after Game 2 of their first-round playoff showdown. “You can tell that the sense of urgency was a little bit different.”

The Aces didn’t equal it.

The defending WNBA champions are hosting a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night at Michelob Ultra Arena after a 99-89 loss to the Fever, tying their best-of-three series.

Up 26-18 after the first quarter despite effective offensive process for Indiana, Las Vegas was outscored 54-34 in the second and third quarters before an announced crowd of 16,298.

Jackie Young had 31 points on 7-for-19 shooting to lead the Aces, who got 22 points and nine rebounds from Wilson and 10 points and seven assists from Chelsea Gray. Fever star Caitlin Clark had 27 points and 15 assists, controlling play with her pace in transition, dribble penetration and passing touch.

“That was a team that was playing for their lives and they showed it,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. “We have to regroup a little bit, fix some things defensively and move forward to Game 3.”

The Aces staked their 1-0 lead Sunday with a 102-85 win in Las Vegas behind 38 points, 16 rebounds and unrelenting dominance from Wilson. The four-time WNBA MVP and presumptive five-time honoree repeatedly punished single coverage but wasn’t allowed to play Tuesday in space.

The Fever intensified their defensive pressure and hounded Wilson with double teams, mucking up the Aces procedurally. Conversely, Clark played freely in space by pushing the tempo with her dribble in transition, bending around ball screens and catching defenders to open dropoff or kickout passes.

A 48-43 halftime deficit swelled to 15 in the second half and a last-gasp effort was unsuccessful, though Clark fouled out with 4:42 to play. Fellow star guard Kelsey Mitchell added 26 points for the Fever while standout center Aliyah Boston scored 22, helping Indiana shoot 52.1 percent from the field.

Added Wilson: “They obviously played with a sense of urgency. This was a game they needed to win so their urgency was a lot higher. The intensity was a lot higher. So, I think they made the adjustment there. … The sense of urgency they were playing with kind of had us on our heels the same way we had them in Game 1.”

Three-time WNBA champions under Hammon, the Aces are accustomed to postseason pressure and faced an elimination game last season against the Fever in the WNBA semifinals. Their 107-98 victory — though Clark didn’t play due to a sprained right groin — paved their way for their WNBA Finals sweep of the Phoenix Mercury.

Hammon expects to draw Thursday night on their championship pedigree to beat Indiana.

“We’ll rely heavily on it,” Hammon said. “They’ve come through. That’s who they’ve been. But we’ve got to come in with a better mindset. So much of this is a mental game and a mental focus. I thought they had the mental edge … the sense of urgency that’s necessary. … We have to have that Thursday.”

“And we will.”

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on X.

WNBA first round

Series tied, 1-1

Game 1: Aces 102, Fever 85

Game 2: Fever 99, Aces 89

Game 3: 6 p.m. PT Thursday, Michelob Ultra Arena, USA Network, CNBC