A’ja Wilson spent Sunday morning collecting another award. By the afternoon, she was reminding everyone why.
Wilson tied her playoff career highs with 38 points and 16 rebounds as the Las Vegas Aces beat the Indiana Fever 102-85 in Game 1 of their first-round series Sunday at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
She shot 15-of-19 from the field, added four blocks and two steals and helped Las Vegas take a 1-0 series lead. Jackie Young added 21 points and 10 assists, while Chelsea Gray finished with 14 points and eight assists.
Before tipoff, Aces coach Becky Hammon stripped the matchup down to one message.
“Basically, that it’s 0-0,” Hammon said. “Records don’t matter. What we did last year doesn’t matter. We have to go out and be the best team today.”
Las Vegas did that with its stars controlling the offense and its defense keeping Indiana from finding sustained rhythm.
Defense sets the tone
Wilson established the tone immediately. She blocked Aliyah Boston on Indiana’s first possession, then later stole a Caitlin Clark pass and added another block on Clark.
Gray scored twice from the midrange, while Young and Stephanie Talbot knocked down early 3-pointers. Indiana briefly moved ahead 16-14, but Las Vegas answered with a 10-0 run.
Gray made 1-of-2 free throws after Sophie Cunningham was assessed a flagrant 1. Wilson then scored inside, Jewell Loyd hit a 3 and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus finished consecutive layups to push the lead to 24-16.
Indiana answered with back-to-back Cunningham 3-pointers, but Wilson converted an and-one over Boston late. Las Vegas led 27-23 after shooting 58 percent from the field.
Wilson had nine points, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal in the quarter. Clark went 1-of-6 with two turnovers.
Aces create separation
Las Vegas kept attacking in the second quarter, and its defense began creating easier offense.
Gray stayed comfortable in the midrange and made all three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. Wilson kept scoring inside, while Young and Loyd turned Indiana turnovers into points.
Young hit two 3-pointers in the quarter, while Wilson added one of her own late. Wilson then drew Boston’s third foul and made both free throws before Loyd closed the half with another 3.
Wilson went into halftime with 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Gray had 12 points and six assists, while Young had 11 points and seven assists.
Las Vegas forced nine Indiana turnovers and turned them into 18 points. The Aces also shot 65 percent overall and 7-of-13 from 3.
Their 62 first-half points were one shy of the 63 they scored against Phoenix in Game 2 of the 2022 first round. Las Vegas led 62-47.
Wilson takes over
The Aces kept control after halftime instead of giving Indiana an opening.
Talbot scored early, then Wilson recorded her fourth block. Parker-Tyus hit a 3 off a Young assist, and Young followed with a finish in the paint as Las Vegas stretched the lead to 71-51.
Then Wilson took over another stretch.
She grabbed an offensive rebound, scored through contact and drew the foul. As Wilson went to the line with 4:05 left in the third, the first MVP chants of the afternoon rolled through Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Wilson made the free throw, then hit her second 3-pointer of the game moments later. It marked the first postseason game of her career with multiple made 3s.
She followed with another jumper to reach 30 points for the 11th time in her playoff career.
By the end of the quarter, Wilson had 30 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Young had 17 points and nine assists as Las Vegas carried an 86-65 lead into the fourth.
Hammon had said before the game that the Aces needed to trust the experience built around Wilson, Gray and Young.
“They understand the pressure. They understand the standard. They understand the expectation,” Hammon said. “They understand and like the pressure.”
The trio drove almost everything Las Vegas did offensively through three quarters.
Wilson closes it
Indiana opened the fourth with a 6-0 run behind 3-pointers from Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. Wilson answered immediately.
She hit a jumper through contact and completed the three-point play, then finished at the rim off a Talbot pass. Later, Wilson grabbed her 16th rebound to match her playoff career high before throwing a long outlet to Young for a layup.
Another Wilson basket gave her 37 points and pushed the lead to 95-73. She later split two free throws to reach 38, tying the playoff scoring high she had reached twice before.
Young added a steal and layup late to give Las Vegas 100 points before Wilson went to the bench.
The Aces finished at 59 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3, with 24 assists on 38 made baskets. They also held Indiana to 85 points after the Fever entered the postseason as the highest-scoring team in league history this season.
Clark finished with 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting and committed six turnovers. Mitchell scored 12 on 4-of-16 as Las Vegas forced 17 turnovers and blocked six shots.
The Aces also led by as many as 27.
Hammon said before the game that playoff basketball required another level of defensive commitment.
“We always want to establish ourselves defensively first,” she said. “We know in the playoffs it’s a little bit of a different animal.”
Las Vegas paired that defense with one of Wilson’s biggest postseason performances and strong production from its core.
Up next
The Aces take a 1-0 series lead to Indiana for Game 2 on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. PT on Prime Video.
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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.
