Indiana Fever’s Game 1 against the Las Vegas Aces was extremely physical and not without reason. The A’ja Wilson vs Aliyah Boston matchup was set up to be that way. Two of the top forwards going head-to-head were bound to get chippy. And Boston was not giving an inch. As she was driving to the rim, pushing and shoving Wilson, she tried to get the layup in but smacked Wilson in the process. Boston got the foul she deserved, but when it was Wilson’s turn, the whistle went silent and, as Rachel DeMita puts it, that no-call fits a pattern that’s becoming hard to ignore.

DeMita started by breaking down some of the plays for which Wilson should have been called. The first one was when the clock was winding down in the second quarter, Wilson pushed down Lexie Hull, and the Fever star pleaded with the referee who was watching on, but no call. Then came the most astounding play for DeMita. Kelsey Mitchell drove to the rim for the layup but accidentally fouled Wilson. However, the referees went to the screen and rewatched the play in slow motion after Wilson signaled she was hit on her face.

“If you’re not watching the full play, you might just think that Kelsey swung her elbow to the side. Kelsey Mitchell was going up for the layup, and her right hand was her guide, and she’s going up with her left hand. A’ja is coming into her with both hands up, and she leans into her, and that’s where the foul happens, and A’ja kind of put herself into Kelsey’s elbow. Kelsey didn’t swing her elbow. It’s literally just her guide hand that goes away when you’re going up for a layup,” DeMita said in protest of the decision.

Things in slow motion always look different from how they appear in real time. There was contact between Mitchell and Wilson, but it was Wilson who was impeding Mitchell’s space. That wasn’t all, as a technical was called on Mitchell because the play was after the whistle, which further confused DeMita. “This in itself was where my mind was blown. The contact was after the whistle. Kelsey Mitchell is midair. What do you want her to do midair when the whistle is blown?”

A fair question. Stephanie White was already pretty enraged throughout the game regarding the refereeing and has been for the entire season. She hasn’t been the only one—coaches and players. However, White has accepted the situation. “Look, it is what it is. This is not anything that’s new. I think how we adjust, how we use it to our advantage on one end, and try to be disciplined enough to not on the other end, it’s an equal chess match as it is for playing an opponent,” White said after her game loss against the Atlanta Dream. “So I think that’s just an area that we’re gonna have to dive into.” According to DeMita, they are in for worse in Game 3.

DeMita said, “We have seen from the referees this entire season, they have been inconsistent. There have been some rough calls. And then you have somebody in A’ja who probably has the best whistle in the WNBA. So, the Fever just have to know what they’re going up against. I do predict that Game 2 is going to be a lot more physical and the Aces are really going to come out with some fire in Game 2.”

A’ja Wilson and the debate on her whistle have been going on for years. Many fans have pointed out that 50–50 decisions typically favor Wilson. She attempted the most free throws per game at 7.3, and 26.5% of her points have come from it, which is the fifth most in the league (minimum 25 minutes per game). The favorable whistle theory has another explanation: maybe Wilson’s paint domination (second-most points in the paint, 12.1) and her playstyle just draw more fouls than normal. In any case, Wilson and her squad will be pressing on, Fever, and they will need to be wary of that. Despite this challenge, Fever and Stephanie White are more than ready.

Indiana Fever Have a Mental Advantage Over the Aces

How can winning one game change so many things for the Indiana Fever? But it isn’t about just one game; the Fever are already coming off a huge upset against the Atlanta Dream, where they shut down the best three-point shooting team in the league. Stephanie White identified their strength and pushed with her best players. She did the same with the Las Vegas Aces and A’ja Wilson in this deep playoff run despite loads of injuries.

White has put on a coaching clinic so far in the playoffs. Her rotations and matchup choices have been excellent. For example, she compensated Boston’s marking on A’ja Wilson in her absence with Brianna Turner, who has barely played this season. She didn’t have many options with the injuries, but throwing a double at Wilson could’ve easily blown up in her face. Instead, White trusted her players to do enough. She even has a special weapon in Kelsey Mitchell. 

The players also deserve praise as they carried out the plans effortlessly while maintaining composure. As discussed above, the Fever have had enough experience with the referees and missed calls, but that hasn’t shaken their mentality. Every postseason game, the Indiana Fever have been underdogs, and it has fueled them even more. 

“We wanted to come in and be the aggressor right away to make sure that we were dictating on the defensive end and we were dictating from a pace standpoint. They’re champions for a reason,” White said after Game 1.

Fever is on a generational run, literally. It’s been a decade since they won a postseason game, and now they have won 3 without the majority of their core. On the other hand, the Aces continue to rely on Wilson to deliver the goods. The Fever have worked better as a team this season as compared to the Aces, giving them some advantage.