Behind Kelsey Mitchell’s playoff career-high 34 points, the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever spoiled the celebration for Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson and the host Las Vegas Aces with an 89-73 Game 1 upset in their WNBA semifinal matchup on Sunday.
Wilson received her league record fourth MVP before tipoff on Sunday, but it was Indiana taking the spotlight virtually from the get-go in the opener of the best-of-five series.
The Fever swarmed on Wilson defensively, forcing her into 6-of-22 shooting from the floor for the game and an 0-for-6 start on her initial field-goal attempts.
Wilson finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but through a combination of Indiana defense and foul trouble, was stymied in the second half. She managed just four points and two boards after intermission.
Mitchell, meanwhile, was hot offensively. She shot 12 of 23 from the floor, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. The last of her four triples on a stop-and-pop transition attempt snuffed out any hope of a rally for the second-seeded Aces.
“It’s one game,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “But to be able to come in here and steal this one was big for us.”
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Odyssey Sims complemented Mitchell’s big scoring performance with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor. Veteran Natasha Howard, who contributed to the defensive effort on Wilson, posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Howard also added a pair of steals.
Brianna Turner, who along with Aaliyah Boston held Wilson in check, said that Indiana emphasized “making all (Wilson’s) buckets tough.
“She’s the best player in the world,” Turner added. “We weren’t going to stop her completely, but we wanted to make sure every shot had a hand in her face.”
Boston grabbed another 11 rebounds for Indiana and dished five assists. All five Fever starters doled out at least two assists.
“They won all three categories. That much is obvious,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. “They played with a greater sense of urgency. We couldn’t catch up with their pace.”
With Wilson struggling to get going offensively, Las Vegas stagnated as a whole. The Aces shot 29 of 71 from the floor (40.8) percent, and got only 25 points from scorers other than Wilson, Jackie Young (19 points) and Chelsea Gray (13).
Of those 25, 14 came from Dana Evans off the bench. Former WNBA scoring champion Jewell Loyd finished with just three points, which came in the game’s final minutes.
“I know we’re capable, but not when we play like that. God forbid A’ja doesn’t drop 40 (points),” Hammon said, adding that the Aces committing 12 turnovers while dishing out only 12 assists hindered their offensive rhythm.
After rolling off 17 straight wins, Las Vegas has dropped two of its last three with Sunday’s setback. The Game 1 loss marked Las Vegas’ first defeat at home since Aug. 2.
–Field Level Media
