By hook or by crook, the Las Vegas Aces made it to the semifinals only to run into their worst possible matchup. On paper, the Indiana Fever is a significantly worse team than A’ja Wilson and her crew, but we all know what they’re capable of. Stephanie White’s team runs the floor hard, plays a quick 5-out offense, and if they catch you sleeping on the three-point line? It’s lights out, no questions asked. But the Aces’ biggest problem isn’t with its competitors; it might actually be internal.

A’ja Wilson is one of the greatest basketball players of all time in terms of legacy. With three MVPs, two rings, and an unquantifiable impact on the game, it feels like she drops a thirty-point double-double every single game, and honestly, she’s not far from it. But is Las Vegas putting all its eggs in one basket? Analyst Rachel A. DeMita certainly thinks so!

On the latest episode of the Courtside Club, DeMita broke down the Aces offense to a T, and didn’t like what she saw. “I actually think that the Aces’ biggest strength is also their biggest weakness. And their biggest strength is having A’ja Wilson, the most dominant player in the WNBA. She has put this team on her back.” She said, praising the six-foot-four center. But, while looking at Wilson’s dominant Game 3 performance against the Storm, Rachel DeMita found something really troubling.

Out of Las Vegas’ 74 points, A’ja Wilson had a fabulous 38-piece. But everything below that? A point of concern for the Aces. The only other contributors were Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Everyone else had 4 or less, and Kierstan Bell, a starter, had 0.

DeMita was quick to point out how this scoring spread might put Las Vegas at a major disadvantage. “The lopsidedness of the scoring is, it’s A’ja. It’s the A’ja show, and A’ja is very hard to guard… I’m not saying that she’s going to drop 40 every night, but she’s going to put some points on your head. I don’t care who’s guarding her.” The analyst pointed out, but the reality of the situation goes a lot deeper than Wilson’s excellence. “But their biggest strength is also their biggest weakness in that she’s the most dominant scorer. And they don’t have a team where everyone can score, where everyone is getting involved.” Rachel A. DeMita further elaborated.

Even though that’s not always the case, the numbers are pretty hard to ignore. Out of the 44 games that Las Vegas has played, A’ja Wilson has been the top scorer for 30 of them. How many did they end up losing? Six out of thirty. Sure, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd have been worthwhile contributors throughout the season, but they don’t compare to the offensive wave that A’ja Wilson brings night after night. So far, depending on Wilson, it hasn’t worked out badly for Becky Hammon’s squad. But how long can she go before she cracks?

So, considering that the Indiana Fever is on the other side, how should they go about guarding the six-foot-four menace? I mean, she’s an MVP candidate for a reason, and stopping her is easier said than done. As a three-level scorer, A’ja Wilson is nearly impossible to guard. Should they focus on her, send double teams, and try to deny her the ball? Or is it a matter of shutting everyone else down? Let’s take a look.

How big a problem is A’ja Wilson for the Indiana Fever?

In not so many words, she’s a huge problem for any team that goes against her. Becky Hammon said it best on September 12: “She’s put in the work, and she passes all the tests–the math tests, the optics tests–she’s the most exciting player in the W.” But as we discovered previously, overreliance is never a good thing for any team, especially one that has a championship in its mind. So, considering that Indiana’s system is a lot more fluid and dynamic, how do they deal with this six-foot-four force of nature?

Or, a more interesting question that Rachel DeMita posed is whether they actually have to do anything about her? During the latest episode of the Courtside Club, the analyst went down a very interesting line of questioning. “Do they focus so much on A’ja where they bring a trap, they bring a double team to A’ja to make sure that she doesn’t go off for 40, and they make other players get involved? Or do they say, you know what, we’re going to play her straight up?” She asked.

The thing is, A’ja Wilson is going to get her points regardless. It might not be every game, but it’s the most common outcome–she is an unbelievable scorer. But can Indiana limit everyone else “because it’s not a sustainable model for A’ja to have to put up 40 points in order for her team win tough games.” As a strategy, it sounds pretty solid! Indiana’s a fast-paced team, and they can use that to their advantage to wear A’ja Wilson out on both sides. However, if they manage to stifle the rest of the team? Well, basketball is a team sport, after all.

Something that might work for the Fever is a zone defense, as pointed out by DeMita. “The Aces have been shooting a lot better from three, but they are still not a three-point shooting team. So, I think that they’ll play around with a zone here.” She predicted that A’ja Wilson’s crew is not lethal from deep, and honestly? That’s true. There are countless opportunities for Stephanie White here, but it will all come down to real-time decisions.