Up until now, the short-handed Fever have shown they can tough it out and pull through. As the No. 6 seed, Indiana stunned No. 3 Atlanta in the quarterfinals and then opened the semifinals by defeating the Las Vegas Aces 89–73. But the Aces regrouped in Game 2 to hand the Fever a 90-68 blowout. Many began to wonder: Was Indiana’s Game 1 upset a fluke or did the Aces make real, strategic adjustments that turned the tables? As it turns out, A’ja Wilson already had the answer. 

Ahead of Game 2, when asked about her struggles against Aliyah Boston in Game 1, A’ja kept it simple. “It was no different than any other time 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 … we really just gotta continue to buckle in,” she said. As Game 2 unfolded, sticking to those fundamentals proved to be decisive.

In Game 1, Boston gave Wilson no daylight. Wilson went 6-for-22 from the field and missed 14 shots around the rim, four from right inside the restricted area. Boston personally defended her on 35 possessions, holding Wilson to an almost absurdly low 16.7% effective field-goal percentage, per Swish Appeal’s Josh Felton. The Fever also collapsed on Las Vegas’s other scorers, so there was little relief. With the paint clogged and the Aces slow in transition, Indiana controlled the tempo, and the game slipped into a defensive breakdown for Vegas. Game 2 was the reversal.

Wilson hit 10-of-18 for 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had five steals. Only one of those baskets came in isolation against Boston; most were set up through early seals, pick-and-roll slips, and elbow actions designed to pull Boston off her spot. The Aces also tightened their own defense. They limited Indiana to 41% shooting, slashed their turnovers, and flipped the paint battle, scoring 48 points inside compared to just 38 in Game 1, and running out for more fast-break points. Suddenly, it was Indiana on its heels, not Vegas. 

Indiana on its heels, not Vegas. 

Wilson pointed out afterward that her team didn’t let the Game 1 loss snowball, drawing a straight line back to an even uglier moment earlier in the season: a 111–58 blowout loss to Minnesota on Aug. 2. That defeat, she reminded everyone, became the spark for a 16-game winning streak to close the regular season. “I think Game 2, we just decided to come to work,” Wilson said. “When we do that and we play the right way, good things happen. I don’t necessarily think (Game 1) was a wake-up call. I told my team I was embarrassed less than the 53-point loss. No one panicked.” That steadiness showed up across the roster.

Former Fever forward NaLyssa Smith, who’s been traded twic,e seemed to have found her footing with the Aces. She scored 18 on 7-of-9 shooting, slicing into the lane and drawing fouls, while Jackie Young added 13. Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans chipped in 10 apiece, and Chelsea Gray orchestrated the offense with 10 assists as Vegas shot a blistering 53.8% from the floor.

On the other side, Odyssey Sims led Indiana with 18, and Lexie Hull, questionable with a back issue and wearing a brace, managed 15 off the bench. Kelsey Mitchell, who had erupted for 34 points in Game 1, was cooled to 4-of-14 shooting for just 13, and Boston finished with 10.

“The reality is, they came in and they were physical, and they dictated,” Fever coach Stephanie White admitted. “We were on our heels, we were passive and we were reactive to everything.” She wasn’t wrong. This was exactly the kind of game where Indiana could have used Caitlin Clark; her scoring punch and playmaking presence were conspicuously absent. But speaking of physicality and foul lines, both head coaches made sure to share their thoughts on it after the game. 

Caitlin Clark’s Head Coach Criticizes Physicality

Game 2 between the Aces and the Fever turned into a foul fest, with both teams combining for a staggering 41 fouls. After Game 1, Coach Hammon had challenged her team, saying, “We can’t come out and have them play harder than us.” This time, her players clearly responded, and the result spoke for itself.

But for Fever coach Stephanie White, the constant whistles killed any chance of Caitlin Clark and co finding their rhythm. “Well, it’s hard for us to find flow when there’s a foul called every 10 seconds. I mean it just really is.” Even Hammon admitted that if this game had been played under NBA rules, it might have sparked full-on fights.

The series now shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with the Fever hoping their home crowd can act as an extra player to help them take on this Aces juggernaut. Fans will also be keeping an eye on Stephanie White’s 0‑3 record whenever her team has won Game 1 in a best-of-five series. To break that streak, the Fever will need to fully harness their home-court energy. What do you think—can Caitlin Clark and co make it to the Finals? Share your thoughts in the comments below!