When Indiana advanced to Round 2 against the Aces, they knew exactly what they were up against. Fresh off a 2-1 series win over Seattle, Las Vegas had its leader, A’ja Wilson, putting on an MVP-worthy show with a 38-point outburst. Naturally, all eyes were on her. But the Fever came prepared. “Have to try to make things difficult [for Wilson],” Indiana’s head coach said postgame. And that’s exactly what they did. Now, though, after Wilson’s remarks and Game 2, the storyline has shifted. The battle between Wilson’s squad and Boston’s isn’t just about basketball anymore. It’s spilling off the hardwood.

With three quarters still left to play in Game 1, it was AB who set the tone for what was to come. When asked about defending Wilson, she admitted, “Honestly, just trying to kind of be annoying a little bit because A’ja is a pretty great player. So for me, just trying to make sure my presence is felt.” And yes, she did a pretty good job defending Wilson, who shot just 6-of-22 from the field despite going 50.5% per game this regular season. Then came Game 2 with the same threat, but if you ask Wilson, she wasn’t worried at all.

Wilson came late, but didn’t miss the target. She spoke with the media during her team’s September 23 pregame shootaround and shared, “It was no different than any other time that I play Aliyah, or any other big in this league. It’s always very physical, and it’s playoffs, so they let you get away with a lot of different things… But that doesn’t really change much of the game and our system. So we really just gotta continue to buckle in.”

And sure, she backed it up in Game 2, putting up 25 points, nine rebounds, five steals, and two blocks on 10-of-18 shooting. Overall, the Aces held the Fever to 41% shooting while forcing a whopping 22 turnovers, which they turned into 28 points. They even locked up MVP candidate Kelsey Mitchell to just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting in Game 2. That’s quite worrying considering she dropped 34 points in Game 1.

So yes, Wilson warned before execution. To fans, though, it seemed the reigning MVP framed Boston’s defense as solid but not extraordinary, delivering a subtle message to Indy: don’t overreact. Couple that with the “they let you get away with a lot of different things”. Naturally, her comments didn’t sit well with many.

Fever fans crown A’ja Wilson as Enemy No. 1

No doubt, Indy boasts one of the WNBA’s most passionate and loyal fanbases. Even with Caitlin Clark sidelined, games still broke records and arenas sold out. But their support goes beyond attendance. They rally behind their favorites, just as they did when Wilson shared her reaction.

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“The arrogance from this woman is insane. I want to win even more now,” penned a user. Honestly, this reaction wasn’t surprising, given Wilson’s 6-of-22 shooting, a season-worst gap between attempts and makes. She’s had trouble against Boston before: on June 22, she went 8-of-21; on July 3, 9-of-18; and on July 24, 7-of-17. In regular-season matchups versus Indiana, she’s averaged just 43% shooting, respectable, but well below her overall season average.

But fans didn’t stop just there. “Same!! She’s butt hurt they got beat the same day she is named MVP and outscored by Kelsey!!” penned another user. The Las Vegas Aces center claimed her fourth WNBA MVP, her second straight, in one of the tightest races that also included Mitchell. But Wilson also faced a nightmare on the same day. As her head coach put it, “Even the greatest players have off nights where they miss.”

While Boston did it all, Wilson would have still liked to assert her MVP status against another contender. However, Kelsey outperformed Wilson by a wide margin. As HC Stephanie White put it, “but Kelsey is definitely the head of the snake for us. She’s just a tough shot maker.“

“If Lexi isn’t complaining about ‘get away with a lot’ then no one shall,” penned another spectator. Aren’t we all aware of the raccoon eyes Hull got? Well, this user is pointing to that only. But while Hull had been a victim of physicality throughout the season, the game versus the Aces was no different. She crashed to the floor, but she played through it, scoring six points in 35 minutes during the Fever’s 89–73 win.

“Her initial injury happened the very first time she got run over (on Sunday), which was in the first quarter,” White had said. “And she took a lot of hits. She took four or five, you know, pretty solid hits in the ball game. And so it just continued to get reaggravated, and overnight was not kind to her.”

“So much irony in one quote. ‘…they let you get away with a lot of things.’ Like flattening Lexie Hull multiple times? UFB.” added another user. For the fans, Wilson’s pregame remarks drew even more attention after Game 2 concluded. Why? Not just because Hull had spent hours two days prior working with the staff, or because she was seen wearing a heated device to keep her muscles warm during the Fever’s shootaround, but also because of Chelsea Gray’s postgame comments.

In Game 2, the Aces brought a much more physical edge against the Fever, a contrast to their approach in Game 1. The moment they decided to ramp up the intensity, it completely shifted the game. To fans, it seemed like physicality is fine when someone else is on the receiving end. As Gray agreed, insisting it’s just part of the game: “It’s playoff basketball, man. We know it’s gonna be physical. They’re gonna let a lot more things go. Some things were questionable sometimes, but that’s playoff basketball,” she pointed out.

Similar to Wilson’s words, but the context makes the difference clear. It’s now being said in defense.

But that’s not the only issue fans pointed out. “Aliyah Boston is known to flop to get calls from the officials. A’ja and others have called her out on this before,” penned another user. Well, “Flopping..that’s all you do”. Sounds familiar?

Lip readers across the internet believe this is what Wilson said during the June 22 game, after she was called for a foul while battling Boston for position in the paint. Following what appeared to be contact from Wilson, Boston reacted strongly, prompting the foul call. In response, Wilson seemed to call Boston out. In response, fans had even then believed that Wilson downplayed Boston’s talent.

So yes, this is how the so-called rivalry between the two teams has unfolded. Physical play, fan wars, and everything in between. Now, the only question remaining is who will emerge victorious in the best-of-five series and have the last laugh. What do you think?