Caitlin Clark’s first-ever playoff double-double wasn’t enough to stem the tide in Indiana’s favor, as the Las Vegas Aces’ balanced approach dismantled the top offense in the league. As the Fever lost 102-85 against the Aces on Sunday, WNBA analysts Jamie Steyer Johnson and Tyler DeLuca highlighted that it was not just one specific area where the Fever struggled; they were outclassed on almost every major tactical component by the Aces.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“It seemed like there was a concerted effort to spread the ball around to not just say, ‘ Okay, A’ja, go to work because that may work in the short term, but long-term, that’s not, I think, the way you win a championship,” Johnson said on the ‘Her Hoop Stats’ podcast.
“Game after game, so they go out, they get a little bit of everything, and then when it becomes evident that, all right, A’ja’s finding her spots, A’ja’s doing her thing, like you go to her a little bit more. But it really was pretty balanced, she had nine points in the first quarter. She ends up with 38 points overall; that’s pretty evenly spread. And so it’s her dominating, plus everyone else doing their part.”
The Fever started the game well, and the score was almost level after the first quarter, at 27-23 in the Aces’ favor. But while A’ja Wilson put up a scoring masterclass, tying her previous playoff game-high score, she found support in the Aces’ supporting cast as well.
The Aces had Jackie Young scoring 21 points, and Chelsea Gray contributed another 14 points. Even Jewell Loyd ended up with 10 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting.
It was hard to believe that Indiana had the league’s best offense in the regular season, averaging 96 points per game. Indiana’s core offense, led by Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, misfired and struggled all afternoon. While Caitlin Clark finished with 15 points and 10 assists, she was nowhere close to her regular-season efficiency, shooting just 6-of-17 from the field. Her conversion from beyond the arc was even worse, scoring just three of her 10 shots.
And then there was Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell made WNBA history when she finished with a staggering 1,086 points in the regular season, the highest ever, surpassing even A’ja Wilson for this feat. She has also extended her own WNBA record for the most consecutive 20-point games, at 27. However, none of that translated into this particular game.
Mitchell finished the night with just 12 points, shooting just 4-of-16 from the field. Mitchell also struggled from three, making just one of 6 attempts. The Aces’ defense was able to hold the Fever to 45% from the field, while ensuring that their own FG% sat at 59%.
It was not just Indiana’s offense that struggled. Wilson and Co. made life difficult for the Fever on both ends of the floor, and the defensive gaps that the Fever have displayed all season were once again out in the open.
“A’ja scored in the first quarter, but she was just coming over and blocking people left and right. It was unbelievable. It’s like, right off the bat. She said, like, ‘Well, you’re not coming in here and getting anything easy’, and just completely set the tone for the game. And I felt like that completely colored the entire matchup from there,” Johnson added.
Wilson finished the night with two steals and a game-high four blocks, and this well-rounded display reminded everyone why she is the reigning MVP. And the Aces management knows exactly what they are getting from a player of Wilson’s calibre.
“She’s ready to go. The demands we put on her throughout the regular season is high. She understands the stakes always. She was a clinic tonight. She was all over the court, everywhere. Defensive end, offensive end, blocks, steals, boards, scoring. I mean, there was nothing she didn’t do tonight,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon.
Indiana will certainly hope that they also commit fewer errors in the next game, especially concerning the 28 points conceded off of the 17 turnovers they allowed. The Fever seem aware that their defense was not on point.
“An F,” Caitlin Clark said after the game on Indiana’s defense, while looking towards center Aliyah Boston and head coach Stephanie White.
Indiana fans will also hope that Boston and Clark can play, having been listed as probable by the Fever management. Fever will need the duo of Clark and Mitchell to show why they are one of the strongest backcourt pairings in the WNBA. Lose the next game, and the season is over for them.