Fresh off her MVP win, A’ja Wilson did not have the night she wanted under the bright lights of Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Indiana Fever, who have been playing without Caitlin Clark for a while now, ran the show in Nevada and took Game 1 home by 89-73. Kelsey Mitchell’s 34 points spoiled Wilson’s night, who finished the game with just 16 points, 13 rebounds, and one assist. This was also the Aces’ consecutive defeat against Indiana this season. And if a latest report is anything to go by, HC Stephanie White seems to have found an antidote for the Aces.

In the aftermath of Game 1, Courtside Club’s Rachel A. DeMita discussed the Aces’ loss in an episode of her podcast. During the segment, she highlighted that the Indiana Fever beat the Aces by 16 points because “they held A’ja to under 20 points. If you hold A’ja to under 20 points in any game, the Aces aren’t winning”. DeMita even took a sharp jab at Hamon’s team, saying that they should change their name to the ‘Las Vegas A’jas’ since, according to her, the Aces are fully reliant on the record 4-x MVP winner.

“There was a moment in tonight’s game that basically just put on display the biggest weakness with the Las Vegas Aces. So, there was a point in time when A’ja got her fourth foul. So, she was in foul trouble, and she headed to the bench. At this point in time, the Indiana Fever was winning by three points against the Aces. By the time Aj’a came back into the game, which was just a few minutes later because she had to, the Fever were up by 14 points,” DeMita added. Notably, the Aces leaned heavily on Wilson in Game 1, and it showed.

Wilson didn’t get much help from her teammates, as the team made just 40% of their shots and less than 30% of their 3-pointers. Then, as the WNBA analyst highlighted, midway through the third quarter, the reigning MVP found herself in foul trouble, picking up her fourth while contesting a Lexie Hull layup with 3:21 remaining. At that moment, the Aces had strung together a 10-0 run and cut the deficit to just four points. But Wilson’s exit stalled their momentum, and Indiana responded with a 12-2 spurt, leaving Las Vegas trailing 69-55 as the fourth quarter began.

Still, it’s fair to say Wilson didn’t quite deliver an MVP-level performance. Her struggle on the shooting front was visible, as as she recorded 6-22 (27.3%) field goals, 0-1 (0.0%) 3-pointers, and 4-5 (80.0%) free throws. The 2025 MVP wasn’t even the highest individual scorer for her own team, as Jackie Young led the Aces with 19 points.

According to Forbes, the key to the Indiana Fever’s win was the pace of play and the disruptive, aggressive defense of the Fever. This was seen in regards to A’ja, as the 29-year-old missed her first six field goal attempts and was held to just one field goal the entire second half. The Fever completely squashed her postseason average of 10.7 free throws.

Additionally, Aliyah Boston really did “annoy” her. Wilson was often forced to take most of her shots in the paint and at close range while facing pressure from the forward. As Swish Apparel’s Josh Felton noted, Boston matched up against the Aces star on 35 possessions and held her to just a 16.7% field goal percentage.

It’s worth remembering that the Aces have managed to win 6 of their last 10 games, even when A’ja Wilson scored 20 points or fewer. But the playoffs are a different stage, and this is where Hammon will need her best player to play her best game. And knowing the Aces still have a chance to even the series in Game 2, HC Hammon defended the 29-year-old.

Becky Hammon defended A’ja Wilson after the Aces’ loss

During the post-game presser, the Aces’ head coach gave her flowers to the Indiana Fever by saying that they “won all three categories (pace of play and the disruptive, aggressive defense) and they played with a greater sense of urgency”. She also gave a separate shout-out to Kelsey Mitchell, who was rock solid, through 12-23 (52.2%) field goals, 4-6 (66.7%) 3-pointers, and 6-6 (100.0%) free throws. Hammon admitted that, “we had no answer for [Kelsey] Mitchell—couldn’t even attempt to slow her down a little bit”. However, she wasn’t willing to put down her own star player just because the rival team’s star player did well.

“It’s a level of concern. I know we’re capable, but not when we play like that,” said Hammon when revealing postgame that the Fever’s ability to neutralize A’ja Wilson was the turning point. “You know, God forbid A’ja doesn’t drop 40 for us”.

Even though A’ja Wilson hit only 27.3% field goals, the Aces head coach defended her by adding, “Honestly, she had a lot of great looks and she just missed. It happens. Even the greatest players have off nights where they miss”. Well, if there was ever a time to not falter or have a bad night, it is the Semi-Finals. However, Hammon wants to put Game 1 in the rear-view mirror. After all, according to her, “she doesn’t normally play two stinkers in a row”.

Do you think the 2025 WNBA MVP will have a better night in Game 2 against the Indiana Fever’s defense? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!