LAS VEGAS — It seems like the Aces have lived three lifetimes since Caitlin Clark's first stop in Vegas in May. They left that game 4-1, then suffered through the most dire stretch in recent franchise history before eventually finding their way back to the championship form that's become the expectation.
The expectation remained reality as the Aces were simply not phased by Clark and all the extra-curricular noise that surrounds her, defeating the Indiana Fever 88-69 on Tuesday night.
And there was a lot of noise. The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 20,366, the highest in any WNBA game since 1999 and among the highest attended sporting events hosted at T-Mobile Arena.
Kelsey Plum, however, was reluctant to give Clark all the credit. Plum didn't agree with some notions that the crowd was an even split.
"I don't know about split," she said. "I think this game was sold out a long time ago. We actually did sell (this arena) out before last year in the playoffs, in the regular season, and then of course in the playoffs.
"So, I mean, yeah, it was great. We had a ton of fans. But also, there's a lot of Iowa fans that love Kate Martin and Megan Gustafson too."
What did those fans get for their money? Kelsey Plum's 34-point performance that paved the way for the 19-point victory by the two-time defending champions. The Aces, helped by a 23-10 edge in the fourth quarter, buried the Fever, which didn't have a rhythm all night as Clark struggled to find her shot.
The Aces on the other hand, were led by dueling dominance from Plum and A'ja Wilson.
Plum made 11 of 20 from the field and Wilson added what has become her usual 28 points on 13 of 22 from the field. Wilson's best performance came on the defensive end, where she recorded five blocks and frustrated the Fever offense.
"You know she really averages 28 a game? Like, that's just like a normal day at the office," Plum said. "That's absurd. You realize that, right?
"And everyone's like doubling, tripling, and game planning, and it really doesn't matter. Like, I think that we need to put it in perspective. Just another night at the office."
Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young each struggled from the field with Gray going 1 of 8 from the field in a 4-point effort while Young made 5 of 16 on her way to 15 points. Young's output was aided by two 3-pointers, but she seemed particularly uncomfortable all night.
"Chelsea, because of who she is, she's like a gravitational pull," Plum said. "You have to respect her. She's always drawing two on the ball, and it's one of those things where because of that, now it's almost like the court gets bigger.
"So everyone's spacing is better. Everyone has a little bit more freedom of movement. And then you're able to be more efficient in space. She kind of puts everyone back in their rightful position, even if she's not necessarily even taking shots."