A’ja Wilson overwhelms Caitlin Clark’s Fever as Aces turn playoff opener into a rout

The Fever had beaten the Aces twice in Las Vegas this season. On Sunday, they found out how little those wins meant once the playoffs began. A’ja Wilson scored 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked four shots as Las Vegas beat Indiana 102-85 in Game 1 of their first-round series. The Aces lead the best-of-three matchup 1-0 and can end the Fever’s season Tuesday in Indianapolis.

Indiana was within four points after the first quarter. Then Las Vegas scored 35 in the second, took a 62-47 lead into halftime and kept pressing. The margin reached 27 before the Aces eased off in the fourth. This was more than one brilliant Wilson performance. Las Vegas shot 59 percent from the floor, Jackie Young added 21 points and 10 assists, and Chelsea Gray had 14 points and eight assists. Indiana had answers for stretches, but never found a way to slow the Aces long enough to make the second half competitive.

A’ja Wilson gives Indiana no place to hide

Wilson came into the postseason as the league’s leading scorer. Her Game 1 performance showed the difference between knowing what she can do and stopping her. She made 15 of 19 shots, hit both of her 3-point attempts and finished with more than twice as many points as any Fever starter. She was just as disruptive at the other end, where her four blocks helped Las Vegas keep Indiana from finding easy baskets around the rim.

The Fever’s defense had to account for Young and Gray, too. Young scored efficiently while creating for teammates, and Gray repeatedly helped the Aces get organized. Las Vegas finished with 24 assists on 38 made field goals.

Indiana had won two of the teams’ three regular-season meetings, including a 109-75 victory in Las Vegas in July. Sunday looked nothing like that game. The Aces won the second and third quarters by a combined 59-42, taking control during the portion of the game when Indiana most needed a response.

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Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell face a quick turnaround

Clark recorded 15 points and 10 assists, but shot 6-of-17 from the floor and committed six turnovers. Mitchell scored 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. For a Fever team that leaned on their scoring all season, those numbers left too much for everyone else to overcome.

Aliyah Boston led Indiana with 18 points and eight rebounds. Sophie Cunningham made three 3-pointers and scored 13 off the bench, while Raven Johnson provided 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Those contributions kept the Fever from falling even farther behind, but they could not offset Wilson’s night or Las Vegas’ shooting.

Indiana scored 85 points and made 12 threes. In many games, that would give the Fever a chance. On Sunday, the Aces had 86 points through three quarters.

Now comes a far less forgiving assignment. Game 2 is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET in Indianapolis. A Fever win would send the series back to Las Vegas for a deciding Game 3; another loss would end a 28-win regular season after just two playoff games.

Indiana does not need to erase what happened Sunday. It does need to change the matchup that defined it. If Wilson gets comfortable again and Clark and Mitchell struggle to find their shots, the Aces will have every opportunity to finish this series early.

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