The Las Vegas Aces are one victory away from heading back to the WNBA Finals after an 84-72 win over the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday night.
The Aces, who have been to the Finals three times since 2020, won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. They had four of five starters in double-figures led by Jackie Young’s 25 points. NaLyssa Smith added 16 and Chelsea Gray 15. Dana Evans added 10 points off the bench.
MVP A’ja Wilson, whose boyfriend Bam Adebayo attended the game, started hot, burying a 3-pointer in the opening seconds, but ended up 6-of-20 on field goals. She stuffed the stat sheet in other categories with eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
‘We had to do it collectively,’ Aces coach Becky Hammon said. ‘We know we are better as a group.’
The Fever kept it close for three quarters but then went ice cold from the floor. They went close to nine minutes without a field goal from the end of the third quarter into the fourth. Lexie Hull broke the drought with a driving layup with 2:25 remaining. To add insult to injury, they struggled from the free throw line making 13-of-21.
Kelsey Mitchell had 21 points and Hull finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Indiana. Aliyah Boston had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists. The Fever had 16-4 edge in offensive rebounds.
The series stays in Indianapolis for Game 4 on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC).
Fever missing free throws
The Fever finished 13-of-21 from the free throw line for 62% after shooting 77% in the regular season.
How many fouls do you get in the WNBA?
Each player is allowed five fouls per game and is disqualified on their sixth foul. Lexie Hull currently has four fouls for the Fever.
End of Q3: Aces 59, Fever 56
Indiana took its first lead in the third quarter and led by as many as five points.
The Aces recovered in the closing seconds of the frame and have a three-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Aces guard Jackie Young has a game-high 21 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. NaLyssa Smith added 10 points, four rebounds and three blocks, while A’ja Wilson scored her first field goal since the 9:37 mark in the first quarter with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter. Wilson is up to seven points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
The Aces are collectively shooting 49.0% from the field and 4-of-10 from the 3-point line.
Kelsey Mitchell has 18 points, two rebounds and one steal. Lexie Hull has 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 23 minutes, but was limited in the third quarter with four fouls. Aliyah Boston is closing in on a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds. The Fever are collectively shooting 35.1% from the fields and 6-of-18 from 3.
The Fever have outrebounded the Aces with 33 rebounds (15 offensive), compared to 20 for Las Vegas, yet find themselves trailing.
Lexie Hull in foul trouble
Hull has been brilliant in Game 3 so far, racking up 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 23 minutes. But the Fever guard was called for an offensive foul after appearing to trip Aces’ Chelsea Gray with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter, her fourth of the game. Hull had to take a seat due to the foul trouble and was replaced by Aerial Powers.
Halftime: Aces 35, Fever 34
Las Vegas opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run to stretch its lead to 10 points, the largest of the game, but the Fever showed their grit as they have all season long and went on a 11-4 run to close the first half and cut their deficit to one point at halftime.
Kelsey Mitchell and A’ja Wilson, superstars of the Fever and Aces, respectively, both struggled out of the gate. Wilson was held scoreless in the second quarter and has three points on the night, shooting 1-of-11 from the field and 1-of 2 from three. Wilson added five rebounds, two assists and four blocks to her stat line.
Mitchell started the game shooting 2-of-10 from the field and 0-of-3 from the 3-point line, before knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers to get going and fuel the Fever’s run. Mitchell is up to 11 points and two rebounds. Fever guard Lexie Hull added 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists, while Odyssey Sims is still looking to get on the board (0-of-6 FG, 0-of-1 3PT).
Las Vegas guard Jackie Young (10 points, four rebounds) is the only Aces player to reach double-digits. NaLyssa Smith added eight points and two rebounds, while Chelsea Gray has seven points and three assists.
The Fever are controlling the boards with 26 rebounds (11 offensive), compared to 16 rebounds (3 offensive) for the Aces. Las Vegas, however, has a slight advantage in the paint (22-18) and in transition (2-0).
End of Q1: Aces 20, Fever 16
The Aces led by as many as seven points in the first quarter.
Aces guard Jackie Young has six points, shooting 3-of-4 from the field. A’ja Wilson knocked down her first 3-point attempt of the night, but has been cold since, finishing the first quarter 1-of-7 from the field in 10 minutes. Wilson, however, has impacted the game defensively with four rebounds and two blocks. NaLyssa Smith added four points.
Aliyah Boston has a team-high six points for the Fever. Lexie Hull added five points.
A’ja Wilson dominates early
Game 3 is underway at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Aces got on the board first with a 3-pointer from center A’ja Wilson and Las Vegas jumped to an 11-6 lead with 4:42 remaining in the first quarter. Halfway through the first quarter, Wilson is already putting on a defensive clinic with four rebounds and two blocks, in addition to three points. NaLyssa Smith has kept the momentum flowing from her 18-point performance in Game 2 with a team-high four points so far.
Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell each have two points for the Fever.
What time is Aces vs. Fever Game 3?
Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals series between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 6 seed Indiana Fever is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 26 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How to watch Aces vs. Fever WNBA playoffs: TV, stream for Game 3
- Date: Friday, Sept. 26
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
- TV: ESPN2
- Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited
Stream Fever-Aces series on Fubo (free trial)
Las Vegas Aces starting lineup
Head coach: Becky Hammon
- 0 Jackie Young | G 6′ 0′ – Notre Dame
- 1 Kierstan Bell | F 6′ 1′ – Florida Gulf Coast
- 3 NaLyssa Smith | F 6′ 4′ – Baylor
- 12 Chelsea Gray | G 5′ 11′ – Duke
- 22 A’ja Wilson | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina
Indiana Fever lineup
Head coach: Stephanie White
0 Kelsey Mitchell | G 5′ 8′ – Ohio State1 Odyssey Sims | G 5′ 8′ – Baylor6 Natasha Howard | F 6′ 3′ – Florida State7 Aliyah Boston | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina10 Lexie Hull | G 6′ 1′ – Stanford
WNBA playoffs 2025: Aces vs. Fever schedule
All times Eastern; *-if necessary
Series 1-1
- Game 1: Fever 89, Aces 73
- Game 2, Tuesday: Aces 90, Fever 68
- Game 3, Friday: Aces at Fever, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Game 4, Sunday: Aces at Fever, 3 p.m. ET on Sunday (ABC)
- Game 5, Tuesday, Sept. 30: Fever at Aces, TBD*
Caitlin Clark injury timeline
- May 24: Clark suffered a left quad injury during the Fever’s 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty, where she recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Clark couldn’t pinpoint the specific play that caused her injury, but noted that it happened early in the contest. Clark said, ‘Adrenaline covers up a lot of stuff when you’re in the heat of battle. After the game, I had some pain, and then we got an MRI, and that kind of gave me the result that I didn’t want to see.’ She missed the Fever’s next five games.
- June 14: Clark returned to Indiana’s lineup in the Fever’s 102-88 win over the Liberty and dropped 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in her first game back.
- June 24: Clark suffered a left groin injury in the Fever’s 94-86 win over the Seattle Storm, which resulted in Clark missing the team’s next four games. Fever coach Stephanie White said she learned of Clark’s groin injury the following night after Clark alerted team trainers of discomfort.
- July 1: Clark was ruled out of the Fever’s 2025 Commissioner’s Cup win over the Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis. That didn’t stop Clark from rightfully celebrating the team’s hardware.
- July 9: Clark returned to the Fever’s lineup in the Fever’s 80-61 loss to the Golden State Valkyries. Clark was limited to 10 points, shooting 4 of 12 from the field and 2 of 5 from the 3-point line, and had six assists, five rebounds and four turnovers. Following the blowout loss, Clark said it was ‘going to take me a second to get my wind back. … Just trying to get my legs under me.’
- July 15: Clark suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Sun at TD Garden in Boston. White later confirmed Clark ‘felt a little something in her groin.’ This marked the last game for which Clark suited up.
- July 18: Clark announced that she would sit out the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, where she was named a team captain. Clark was also set to participate in the 3-point contest. She said, ‘I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate … I have to rest my body.’
- July 24: The Fever said Clark’s medical evaluations confirmed there’s ‘no additional injuries or damage,’ but the team said it will be cautious with Clark’s rehab and recovery.
- Aug. 7: Clark reportedly suffered a mild bone bruise in her left ankle during an individual workout session in Phoenix, according to The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.
- Aug. 8: During an appearance on Sue Bird’s podcast, ‘Bird’s Eye View,’ Clark spoke about the frustrations of her injury-filled season: “It’s not like I have a training camp to build up to play in my first game again. It’s like no, you’re tossed into Game 30 — like, ‘Go try to play well.’ It’s hard, it really is.”
- Aug. 10: Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark has progressed in her recovery and has started running full court again, but Clark hasn’t returned to practice just yet: an important step in her ramp-up. ‘She’s been able to get a little bit more in her full-court running with all of her body weight. … She’s been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not into practice yet,’ White said.
- Aug. 20: White confirmed that Clark has not returned to practice yet.
- Aug. 24: Clark participated in a team shootaround and went through some non-contact drills with the second team, marking her first time practicing with the team since suffering a right groin injury on July 15.
- Sept. 4: Clark shared a post on her official X account, stating that she will miss the rest of the regular season and any potential postseason action.
WNBA MVP 2025: A’ja Wilson wins for record fourth time
A’ja Wilson was named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season. She is the first four-time MVP, besting three-time winners Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The Las Vegas Aces center won the award over finalists Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (534), Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391), Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (180) and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (93).
Indiana Fever roster
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