The Indiana Fever just pulled off the unthinkable in the most unlikely matchups. It was not the MVP who prevailed, but the team that was counted out the moment they lost five players. However, just like all other Fever games, this one was surprising too. Indiana took down Las Vegas by 16 points, 89-73. This was all thanks to a 34-point explosion of Kelsey Mitchell, who was playing her first WNBA semifinal.

However, Mitchell decided to show up in her first. Her 34 points were the second-most by a Fever player in a playoff game in franchise history. The 2025 WNBA MVP finalist went 12-for-23 from the field, 4-for-6 from 3-point range, and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Interestingly, the 2025 WNBA MVP, A’ja Wilson, was shut down completely. The Aces trailed by 16 points this afternoon, their largest deficit in any game since their 53-point loss to the Lynx. And Wilson faced the brunt of that loss.

The ABC commentators were the first to lay into Wilson. The Las Vegas star went 6 of 22 this game, an abysmal number according to her standards. Indiana’s defense smothered her after halftime, holding her to just one made basket in the entire second half. This was pointed out by the commentators, who said, “A’ja Wilson has not scored from the field in a long time. Five minutes and 10 seconds in the third quarter since A’ja Wilson scored. We can’t expect that if you wanna come away with a victory.”

Commentators noted in the fourth quarter that Wilson endured a 5:10 scoring drought in the third quarter. Her struggles only deepened, however, with a scoreless fourth to close the game. Kelsey Mitchell, however, was not having this kind of problem. She went on a 50-60-100 shooting on Game 1, showing herself a tier above others. But still, other Indiana players gave her complete support.

Odyssey Sims contributed 17 points and three steals for the Fever, while Natasha Howard posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Aliyah Boston chipped in six points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. But at one point, Aces had almost gotten the game back. Indiana looked in control, building a 57-43 lead midway through the third quarter. Las Vegas responded with a 12-1 run to cut the deficit to just three.

But the Fever quickly regained momentum, finishing the quarter on an 11-0 run to reestablish a double-digit lead. From there, the Aces never seriously threatened. For Las Vegas, the game was a struggle. A’ja Wilson managed a double-double with 16 points on 6-of-22 shooting and 13 rebounds. Jackie Young added 19 points and seven boards, while Chelsea Gray recorded 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Despite these efforts, the Aces couldn’t match Indiana’s overall production, leaving them trailing across the stat sheet.

One could imagine how dominant the Fever were on offense that they went 34-68 as a team, meaning every other shot was going in. Comparing that to Aces, they shot more but failed to score, going 29 of 71 with a 40.8 percent shooting. One of the main reasons for stifling the Aces was stifling Wilson. Fever guard Cunningham predicted this happening a day prior, stating, “Their best player, A’ja… One of our best players is Aliyah Boston… They’ll guard each other. And I think that’s what makes it so cool because both of them are healthy…and the key to, like, really stopping them is stopping A’ja.”

Fever executed that plan to perfection. The Fever and Aces will meet again for Game 2 in the best-of-five series on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. The series will then shift to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 3 on Friday. But Game 1 was Kelsey Mitchell’s night, and she broke multiple records along the way.

Kelsey Mitchell makes multiple records against the Aces in the Semifinals Game 1

The Indiana Fever must be on cloud nine right now. With many counting them out before the postseason even began, they are the most surprising entry in the semifinals. Their taking down the number two seed, Las Vegas, was also surprising. Down five key players, but not once did Stephanie White’s team look like they were the underdogs. Kelsey Mitchell stated her coach believes in her, claiming, “I’ve never had a coach who poured into me, respectfully, like Steph has.”

Mitchell decided to repay that trust tenfold in the Semifinals Game 1. With her 34-point stint, she set the WNBA record for the most points scored by a player in their first career semifinal game. She surpassed the likes of Breanna Stewart, Cynthia Cooper, and Lauren Jackson to take the first spot. Below is the latest list of the most points scored in the first career semifinal game:

This achievement comes on the back of the recent MVP announcement. A’ja Wilson secured the top spot while Mitchell finished fifth in the voting. But Game 1 played a whole other story in front of the spectators in the Michelob Ultra Arena. Will that be the case for Game 2 as well? Only time will tell.