Indiana advanced after losing five players to season-ending injuries, including Caitlin Clark.
Las Vegas is led by A’ja Wilson, who was just named Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
The Fever won two of the three regular-season matchups against the Aces.
The Indiana Fever won two of three game against the Las Vegas Aces in the regular season, so maybe no one should be surprised at the result of Game 1 of the semifinals on Sunday.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell had a game-high 34 points to lead No. 6 seed Fever over the No. 2 seed Aces 87-73 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five semifinal series. Game 2 will be in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 23 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Point guard Odyssey Sims, who was signed midseason on an injury hardship contract, added 17 points for the Fever, with 13 of those points coming in the second half.
With five players lost to season-ending injuries – including star guard Caitlin Clark – the Fever continue their improbable journey in the WNBA playoffs. Mitchell said all the adversity has helped the Fever this season, saying ‘everything we been though and the experience we got’ has prepared Indiana for its first semifinal appearance in a decade.
‘You just have to be ready, have to gut check,’ said Mitchell, who had a career playoff high in points.
Aces center A’ja Wilson finished was held to 16 points in the loss, shooting a dismal 27.2% from the field after picking up the fourth MVP title of her career. Jackie Young finished with a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds.
Here’s everything you need to know about Game 1 of the Fever-Aces Game 1:
End of Q3: Fever 69, Aces 55
The Fever led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, but the Aces went on a 10-0 run to come within four points with 3:37 remaining in the third quarter. Aces center A’ja Wilson picked up her fourth foul with 3:21 remaining and had to take an early seat, allowing the Fever to close the third quarter on a 11-0 run to extend its lead back to 14 points heading into the fourth quarter.
Fever guard Odyssey Sims exploded for 11 points in the third quarter, bringing her total to 15 points in the game. Kelsey Mitchell also scored 11 of her 25 points in the frame, adding two assists and two steals.
Wilson is up to 16 points in 25 minutes, shooting 6-of-21 from the field and 0-of-1 from 3, in addition to 12 rebounds and three blocks. Chelsea Gray started to heat up in the third quarter and has 13 points.
Halftime: Fever 41, Aces 36
The Fever have a five-point lead over the Aces in a closely contested first half that featured four lead changes and five ties.
Kelsey Mitchell (17 points) and Natasha Howard (10 points) combined for 27 of the Fever’s 41 points in the first half. Mitchell was fouled on a layup attempt with 34.1 seconds remaining in the first half and landed hard on her left thigh. She was slow to get up and repeatedly clutched her thigh area, but remained in the game. Aliyah Boston and Odyssey Sims each added four points.
A’ja Wilson is the only Aces player to reach double-digits and has already recorded a double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Jackie Young has nine points and five rebounds.
Both teams are ice cold from beyond the arc, with the Fever going 1-of-7 from the 3-point line and the Aces 1-of-6.
Something to monitor: NaLyssa Smith took a hard fall after colliding with Wilson on a rebound attempt with 1:57 remaining in the first half and appeared to be shaken up, despite remaining in the game.
Kelsey Mitchell called for technical foul
A technical foul was called on Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell for elbowing Aces center A’ja Wilson in the face on a layup attempt with 2:37 remaining in the second quarter. A technical was called because the contact came after a foul had already been called on Wilson.
End of Q1: Fever 19, Aces 18
The Fever led by as many as nine points in the first quarter, but the Aces finished the frame on a 8-0 run to close the gap to a point heading into the second quarter.
The Fever are shooting 44.4% from the field to start, compared to 38.9% for the Aces. Indiana has the advantage in the paint so far, with 12 points, while the Aces have eight.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell leads all scorers with seven points and one steal.
A’ja Wilson missed her first six field goal attempts before finding the bottom of the net with 2:27 remaining in the first quarter. Wilson is up to three points, five rebounds and one block.
Fever jump to 13-7 lead over Aces
We are underway at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.
Indiana may be playing in its first semifinal in a decade, but the Fever didn’t appear to have any nerves and jumped to a 4-0 lead, before Aces guard Jackie Young knocked down a 3-pointer to get the Aces on the board.
The Aces trail 13-7 with 5:48 remaining in the first quarter.
Aces center A’ja Wilson is looking for her first points of the game. The newly-minted four-time MVP missed her first four shot attempts (0-of-4 FG, 0-of-1 3PT).
Fever forward Natasha Howard has a game-high six points.
What time is Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces?
The Las Vegas Aces host the Indiana Fever in the opening game of their WNBA playoff semifinal series on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT) at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
How to watch Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces: TV, stream
Time: 3 p.m. ET (noon PT)
Location: Michelob Ultra Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
TV channel: ABC
Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)
Las Vegas Aces starting lineup
Head coach: Becky Hammon
0 Jackie Young | G 6′ 0′ – Notre Dame
1 Kierstan Bell | F 6′ 1′ – Florida Gulf Coast
3 NaLyssa Smith | F 6′ 4′ – Baylor
12 Chelsea Gray | G 5′ 11′ – Duke
22 A’ja Wilson | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina
X factor: Aces’ bench
The Aces always have a chance with A’ja Wilson on the floor, but the four-time MVP will need some help if they want to win their third WNBA championship in four years. Wilson, Jackie Young (14 points) and Chelsea Gray (12 points) combined for 64 of the Aces’ 74 points in their Game 3 win over the Seattle Storm, which isn’t sustainable as the Aces go deeper into the postseason. Six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd leads the second unit and will be key in taking a load off the Aces’ Big 3. Loyd had 14 and 13 points in Game 1 and Game 2, respectively, but was held to four points on four shot attempts (2-of-4 from the field, no 3-point attempts) in over 29 minutes of play in Game 3. That can’t happen moving forward.
Indiana Fever starting lineup
Head coach: Stephanie White
0 Kelsey Mitchell | G 5′ 8′ – Ohio State
1 Odyssey Sims | G 5′ 8′ – Baylor
6 Natasha Howard | F 6′ 3′ – Florida State
7 Aliyah Boston | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina
10 Lexie Hull | G 6′ 1′ – Stanford
Indiana Fever injury report
Chloe Bibby (left knee), Caitlin Clark (right groin), Sydney Colson (left knee), Sophie Cunningham (right knee), Damiris Dantas (concussion protocol) and Aari McDonald (right foot) have all been ruled out for Game 1.
X factor: Aliyah Boston
Boston will likely have the difficult task of guarding A’ja Wilson, her fellow South Carolina alum. Boston has faced her fair share of physicality this season, but she must help the Fever shore up the interior defense to keep Wilson and company out of the paint. The Fever gave up 56 points in the paint in their Game 3 win over the Dream, including 40 alone in the first quarter, a WNBA playoff record.
Caitlin Clark WNBA fine
Teammate Sophie Cunningham responded, ‘that’s gonna really break the bank for her. starting a GoFundMe now!’ Cunningham has been fined numerous times this season for criticizing officiating.
A’ja Wilson named 2025 WNBA MVP for record fourth time
A’ja Wilson has been named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season. She is the first four-time MVP, besting three-time winners Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
WNBA MVP voting results
A’ja Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The Las Vegas Aces center won the award over finalists Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (534), Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391), Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (180) and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (93).
Bam Adebayo delivers A’ja Wilson’s MVP trophy
Wilson’s ‘favorite Olympian,’ her beau Bam Adebayo from the Miami Heat, surprised Wilson with her fourth MVP trophy. Wilson fought back tears as her teammates celebrated. Adebayo was also joined by Aces owner Mark Davis, who donned a pink wig with bangs identical to Wilson’s media day look earlier this year.
A’ja Wilson named Co-Defensive Player of the Year
For the third time in four seasons, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson has been named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. But this time there is a twist. Wilson will share the award with Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith, the WNBA announced Thursday.
Smith and Wilson received 29 votes each from 72 sportswriters and broadcasters on the panel. Seattle Storm guard Gabby Williams finished in second place with nine votes, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was third with three votes and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier was fourth with two votes.
A’ja Wilson stats
Wilson averaged a league-leading 23.4 points (2nd-best in her career), 10.2 rebounds (2nd-best), 3.1 assists (ties her career-high), a league-leading 2.3 blocks (2nd-best) and 1.6 steals (2nd-best) in 40 games (all starts) this season. Wilson averaged 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the Aces’ first-round playoff series against the Seattle Storm, including a 38-point performance in Game 3, tying her playoff career high.
A’ja Wilson arrives to Game 1 in red
A’ja Wilson is seeing red … literally. The four-time WNBA MVP arrived for Game 1 of the semifinals in a vintage Nike windbreaker tracksuit. She paired her look with white pumps and a pair of sunglasses.
Indiana Fever arrivals
The Indiana Fever are in the building. Players arrived to Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas for Game 1.
Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever semifinal schedule
Game 1: Fever at Aces, Sunday, Sept. 21 | 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Fever at Aces, Tuesday, Sept. 23 | 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 3: Aces at Fever, Friday, Sept. 26 | 7:30 PM (ESPN2)
Game 4 (if necessary): Aces at Fever, Sunday, Sept. 28 | 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary): Fever at Aces, Tuesday, Sept: 30 | TBD (TBD)
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