Chelsea Gray hit one buzzer-beating 3-pointer to force overtime, then buried another to win it. Jackie Young carried Las Vegas out of a 20-point hole, while A’ja Wilson took over late in an 86-84 victory over Indiana on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Aces trailed 42-22 before closing the first half on a 15-0 run. They then held the Fever to nine third-quarter points before surviving a frantic finish and overtime.
Early defensive tone
The league’s top two offenses opened with a defensive first quarter. Las Vegas held Indiana to 0-for-5 from the arc and forced four turnovers. Still, the Aces trailed 20-18 after shooting 35 percent.
Gray scored five points, including a late 3-pointer that cut the deficit to one. Jewell Loyd then got downhill, finished through contact and completed a three-point play to tie the game at 18.
Aliyah Boston answered with a floater in the final seconds. Indiana also held a 14-8 edge in the paint and won the glass 10-7.
Young stops the slide
Indiana opened the second quarter with eight straight points and stretched its overall run to 10-0. The Fever made their first nine shots of the period and built a 42-22 lead.
Las Vegas looked close to getting run out of the gym. Then Young changed the game.
After missing her first five shots, Young scored the Aces’ final 13 points of the half. She hit from the arc, attacked the midrange and finished through traffic as Las Vegas closed on a 15-0 run.
Young reached halftime with 15 points, trimming Indiana’s lead to 42-37. The Fever did not score over the final 2:53.
Indiana still shot 56 percent in the half, while Las Vegas finished at 38 percent. Caitlin Clark recorded eight assists, but the Aces forced her into six turnovers.
Defensive clamp
Las Vegas carried that momentum into the third quarter. The Aces opened on a 7-0 run, and Young buried a contested 3-pointer over Clark for a 44-42 lead.
Indiana went seven possessions without scoring. Clark finally ended the drought with two free throws, but the Fever did not make a field goal for the first 5:42 of the quarter.
Wilson had struggled through the first half. However, she found room late in the third and scored four straight points, her first baskets since the opening period. Her burst gave Las Vegas a 54-49 lead, its largest of the game at that point.
Loyd also attacked the glass for a rare offensive rebound and putback. She missed the free throw, but the play helped Las Vegas maintain control.
The Aces won the quarter 19-9 and forced seven turnovers. Indiana’s nine points marked its second-lowest scoring quarter of the season.
Las Vegas entered the fourth ahead 56-51 after NaLyssa Smith closed the period with a pullup jumper.
Two shots, one comeback
The Aces pushed their lead to 64-55 before Indiana charged back. Clark hit two deep 3-pointers, including a 30-footer that gave the Fever a 65-64 lead.
Wilson answered with four straight points, but Indiana kept coming. Clark struck again from deep to put the Fever ahead 72-70 with 1:48 left.
Wilson made two free throws to tie the game. Boston then grabbed her own miss and scored the putback, giving Indiana a 74-72 lead with 30.5 seconds remaining.
The Aces appeared finished after Wilson missed a difficult layup. Kelsey Mitchell made one free throw, while Clark missed both of hers.
That left Las Vegas with 4.8 seconds.
Stephanie Talbot’s inbound pass was deflected by Boston. Young reached over Lexie Hull to recover it, then found Gray near the arc.
Gray pump-faked and buried a 26-footer with 0.8 seconds left. The shot tied the game at 75 and forced overtime.
“I missed a game-winning three a couple games ago,” Gray said. “She trusted me again.”
Wilson controlled the extra period. She scored eight of Las Vegas’ first eight overtime points and gave the Aces an 83-82 lead.
Mitchell answered with a driving layup, putting Indiana ahead 84-83 with 38.2 seconds left. Young then missed a 3-pointer, and Clark secured the rebound.
Again, Las Vegas appeared out of chances.
Wilson changed that with defense. She jumped Clark’s pass and came away with the steal with 6.6 seconds remaining.
Young pushed the ball ahead to Gray. Gray buried another 26-footer with one second left, giving Las Vegas an 86-84 win.
“Jackie was awesome tonight,” Gray said. “She had a slow start and was in foul trouble. She comes in, we give her the ball, she goes on a run for us and brings us back.”
Wilson finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and the decisive steal. Young added 22 points and nine assists after her slow start.
Gray scored 11 points and made three 3-pointers. Two came at the buzzer.
“We were excited for this win, and we did it together,” Gray said. “It took everybody.”
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
