Aliyah Boston did the unthinkable. She locked up A’ja Wilson in Game 1 of a semifinal with everything on the line as the Indiana Fever upset the Las Vegas Aces. “I’ll tell you this, she doesn’t normally lay two stinkers in a row,” coach Becky Hammon had asserted. “She’s somebody who bounces back, makes the adjustments.” That’s what Wilson did, dropping 25 points on 10-for-18 shooting in Game 2 as the Aces routed the Indiana Fever. Game 3 was a paradox in that sense.

Boston went aggressive right out of the gate, battling Wilson in the paint and beating her with pump fakes. She had Wilson under her spell, which was instantly noted by Holly Rowe and Ryan Ruocco on the ESPN broadcast. Rowe revealed that Boston had regrets about Game 2 and planned to come at Wilson with different vigor.

“You guys are talking about the start Aliyah Boston’s off to, one-for-eleven against A’ja Wilson when she is the primary defender. When I talked to her before the game about that, she said, ‘I have to keep my intensity up all game. I felt like in Game 2, I let my guard down; A’ja went off. Offensively, I have to make my presence felt.’ She has done both of those things that she intended to start this game,” Rowe said just after the second half started.

Ruocco agreed: “Holly—playing an outstanding Game 3 against the four-time MVP.” Game 3 was a missed opportunity for Indiana. Boston managed to restrict A’ja Wilson’s impact as she scored 13 points on 6-for-20 shooting, only marginally better than Game 1 when she went 6-for-22. Boston did her job of keeping the best player in the world quiet, finishing with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.

“I mean, look, AB’s doing a heck of a job. She’s challenging; she’s making every shot that she can difficult. A’ja is the best player in the world, so I don’t know that we’ll replicate that,” White said before the game. You heard coach White: Wilson is not going to have too many bad games, which is why it was very important for the Fever to win this one, especially when it was at Gainbridge.

Indiana couldn’t capitalize and ended up losing 84-72 as Jackie Young ran riot with 25 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds. If not A’ja, NaLyssa Smith compensated for her, replicating Game 2 heroics with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Even in Wilson’s case, she contributed in other ways with 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 4 assists if not at the offensive end, her usual strength. The loss could be attributed to multiple failures from the Indiana Fever, but their fourth-quarter collapse sticks out.

Indiana Fever Got ‘Stagnant’ in the Fourth Quarter

The game looked balanced until the third quarter, but it took 7 minutes, 35 seconds for the Indiana Fever to score a field goal in the fourth quarter. The Aces’ defense completely shut down Indiana’s offense simply because there wasn’t enough variety. Kelsey Mitchell had to run around the court twice just to get free, and even when she did, an open shot was a rarity.

Aliyah Boston was marked by four-time MVP A’ja Wilson. Only Lexie Hull had some open looks throughout the game, but even she ran out of steam. However, Stephanie White pointed toward their free-throw percentage, which held them back.

“I thought we got a lot of good shots, didn’t make a lot of them. We missed some opportunities at the free-throw line, and then we got a little stagnant. We were still in a good spot ’cause we were getting stops until about the middle of the fourth, and they went on that run. But look, I thought our energy,… our competitive spirit was good. At the end of the day, you just look at the field-goal makes and the free-throw makes, and it’s a different ball game,” White said.

Indiana went 13-for-21 from the free-throw line, which equates to a 61.9% free-throw percentage. Remember their upset Game 1 win? They missed one free throw out of 17. Before this game, they topped the charts in free throws at 16.2 attempts per game at 81.0% (third-most accurate). One of their major strengths turned into a major flaw. And as for their play looking laborious, it’s something that could have been predicted.

We are into the third game of the series, and the Aces pretty much match the Fever’s rhythm at this point. Their injuries don’t give much depth to work with. It seems like a dead end for the Fever and their playoff run, but they still have a chance in Game 4. Do you think the Fever can spring a surprise for the second time?