Despite the Las Vegas Aces winning the deciding game against the Indiana Fever on Thursday. the 94-83 win was dampened by one person’s comments on what they did even before the top-off. As before every game, the American national anthem was played, but the Aces were nowhere to be found on the court. OutKick writer Jon Root took immediate notice of this.

“The Las Vegas Aces sprint off the court before Game 3 vs Fever because they don’t want to honor our country & participate in the National Anthem…,” wrote Root on X.

In the clip that accompanied Root’s post, the Aces squad can be seen heading towards the tunnel as the arena gets ready for the national anthem. It’s not clear whether this was intentional, but the reaction was definitely not in their favor.

Standing up for the national anthem remains a touchy subject in the WNBA. Previously, during the 2020 season, Connecticut Sun’s Brittney Griner asked to remove the national anthem from the league’s pre-game routine. However, in a game in September, a shift was observed in Griner’s stance as she was seen standing and singing along to the national anthem.

While Root’s comment was controversial, the game itself saw no shortage of controversy as well, especially relating to officiating calls.

Early in the second quarter, Indiana HC Stephanie White was given a technical foul for her protest as she got on the court, complaining about a no-call for what the Fever thought was a foul against Lexie Hull by the Aces’ Brianna Turner. Instead, Hull was awarded a personal foul, and the Fever’s call for review was not satisfied. It was later reported that the Fever missed the window to appeal that call.

The game got off to a fiery start as in the very first quarter itself, Caitlin Clark and Brianna Turner each got a technical. This was after Clark shoved Turner out of the huddle as the Fever were regrouping, with around 6:54 left in the first quarter. The dramatics didn’t end there.

Clark was also left bloodied in the fourth quarter after Jewell Loyd caught her in the face with her elbow, but no foul was called.

Then, in the dying moments of the game, with less than a minute left, Aliyah Boston was called for a foul on A’ja Wilson. However, Boston quickly protested the call, alleging that no contact was made with Wilson.

While Caitlin Clark started the game well, scoring 11 points in the first quarter, the Aces were able to contain her after that. Clark finished the game as Indiana’s third-highest scorer, with 18 points. Kelsey Mitchell finished with 23 points, and Aliyah Boston added another 19.

However, the Fever struggled with their efficiency in the game, as they recorded an FG% of just 38, as compared to the Aces’ 45%. One of the hallmarks that made the Fever the best offensive side during the regular season was their shooting from beyond the arc, at a league-leading 38.6%. The Fever, in this critical game, could manage only a three-point percentage of just 28%.

For the Aces, A’ja Wilson capped off another brilliant night as she finished with 36 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double. Wilson was joined by Chelsea Gray, who added 23 points, and Jackie Young, who scored 18. Becky Hammon relied on her starters quite heavily in this game, with injuries to key players impacting her decisions. Hammon spoke about her decision to play Jewel Loyd as Stephanie Talbot missed the game due to an injury.

“She was a game-time decision,” Hammon said after the game. “I just told her, ‘You’ve got to do what’s best for your body.’ Her assignment in this particular game is such a huge one if she’s not at 100%, I need to see somebody at 100%. I know she was heartbroken she couldn’t get out there and physically get it done.”

The win takes the Las Vegas Aces to the semifinals, and the defending champions will play either the Dallas Wings or the Golden State Valkyries in the semifinals. Caitlin Clark and Co. will have to bid adieu to their playoff hopes as they are eliminated from the postseason by the Aces for the second season in a row.