Aces rout Fever 102-85 as A'ja Wilson scores 38 in Game 1
Las Vegas takes a 1-0 lead in the WNBA playoff first-round series behind a dominant night from A'ja Wilson, who was named the AP's WNBA Player of the Year for a third straight year earlier the same day.
What we know
- Las Vegas beat Indiana 102-85 in Game 1 of their WNBA first-round playoff series, with the Aces leading the series 1-0. [1]
- A'ja Wilson finished with 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots. [1] [2]
- Jackie Young added 21 points and 10 assists, and Chelsea Gray had 14 points and eight assists for Las Vegas, according to the AP. [2]
- Aliyah Boston led Indiana with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Caitlin Clark had 15 points and 10 assists. [1]
The Las Vegas Aces jumped ahead 1-0 in their WNBA playoff first-round series with a 102-85 win over the Indiana Fever on Sunday at Michelob ULTRA Arena, according to the game box score and a recap by The Associated Press.
A'ja Wilson led all scorers with 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting to go with 16 rebounds and four blocked shots. The total matched Wilson's career postseason scoring high, the AP reported. Earlier the same day, Wilson was named the AP's WNBA Player of the Year for an unprecedented third consecutive year, according to the AP.
Aces coach Becky Hammon said of Wilson's performance, "She understands the stakes fully. She was a clinic tonight," according to the AP. Wilson also spoke after the game: "I think we just showed up to work, and that's what we need to do moving forward," the AP reported.
Las Vegas got additional scoring from Jackie Young (21 points, 10 assists), Chelsea Gray (14 points, eight assists) and Jewell Loyd (10 points). Gray's eight assists pushed her career playoff total to 397, passing Courtney Vandersloot's 390 for second place in WNBA playoff history, according to the AP.
Wilson scored 22 points in the first half alone on 9-of-11 shooting, and Las Vegas built a 62-47 halftime lead before extending its advantage to as many as 27 points, the AP reported. The Aces fell just short of their franchise record for points in a playoff half, set against Phoenix in 2022.
Aliyah Boston paced Indiana with 18 points and eight rebounds despite being hampered by a lower leg injury, according to the AP. Caitlin Clark contributed 15 points and 10 assists, while Kelsey Mitchell scored 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Fever coach Stephanie White credited the defending champion Aces for playing with playoff urgency, and Clark said Indiana's own sloppy offensive execution hurt the team, according to the AP.
The sixth-seeded Fever will try to even the series when the teams meet again Tuesday in Indiana. A Fever loss would end Indiana's season, while a win would force a deciding Game 3 back in Las Vegas.