LAS VEGAS – After an embarrassing Game 1 loss on their home floor in the hours following A’ja Wilson’s crowning as the first four-time MVP in WNBA history on Sunday, it was no secret the Aces needed to make a statement to start Tuesday’s pivotal Game 2.
Like the playoff-proven team they’ve largely shown themselves to be throughout the first half of the decade, the Aces responded with a vengeance. They led by as many as 18 points in the first half and played with a clear sense of urgency after the shortcomings in Game 1.
Wilson led the way with 13 points before the break on a more efficient 50% shooting clip than the 27% she shot from the field in the series-opening game. Jackie Young added 10 points of her own in the first half. Wilson would finish with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, while Young finished with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
NaLyssa Smith was the Aces’ most important player sans Wilson, as the early-August acquisition tallied 18 points on a remarkably efficient 7-of-8 from the field, in addition to grabbing six rebounds and serving as a crucial force on the defensive end of the floor.
The Aces’ fast start would prove somewhat crucial, as the Fever closed the second quarter on a 16-7 run that trimmed the halftime deficit to 11 and brought them within as few as eight points at one point late in the frame. Vegas never completely lost control, but it required a few timely answers in the face of prospective Indiana rallies.
The game’s final decisive turning point came about midway through the third quarter, with 5:05 remaining to be exact. With the Aces’ lead trimmed to 12 and the Fever seemingly creeping back to a comfortable position at that point, forward Nalyssa Smith converted a highlight reel and-one (free throw included) to put the Aces back up 15.
Smith’s clutch bucket ignited the Aces’ offense for the rest of the quarter, as they would stretch their lead to a then game-high 22 points in the frame en route to an 18-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Smith was arguably the Aces’ most important player sans Wilson, as the early-August acquisition tallied 16 points on an efficient 6-of-7 from the field, while also grabbing six rebounds and serving as a crucial force on the defensive end of the floor.
The Fever were led in scoring by Odyssey Sims (18 points, 7-of-12 shooting) and Kelsey Mitchell (15 points, 5-of-16 shooting). While the starters’ performance was certainly nothing to write home about, Indiana's bench stats proved especially damning. Brianna Turner and Shey Peddy were a combined -47 in 40 total minutes off the bench, an insurmountable number for an already shorthanded team.
Game 3 is scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game is set to air on ESPN2 and will be the first game of a WNBA semifinal doubleheader also featuring the Lynx vs. Mercury’s pivotal Game 3 from Phoenix immediately after.