Almost by definition, true MVP candidates are indispensable. That was definitely the case for the Las Vegas Aces, as A'ja Wilson returned from a sprained ankle to lead her team to victory against the Indiana Fever, 86-75. The icing on the cake was that Wilson set a landmark record of her own, breaking the WNBA record for single season points on a jumper shortly before the half that gave her 941 points. She ended up with 27 for the night.
We're used to seeing Caitlin Clark set records, but it just wasn't her night. Clark shot just 6 for 22, including a dismal 1 for 10 from beyond the arc, and Aliyah Boston also struggled with just six points on 3 for 10 shooting. The other member of Indiana's Big 3, Kelsey Mitchell, was the lone bright spot for the Fever, posting 24 points in a nice effort that included going 4 for 7 from beyond the arc.
The first half featured an A'ja Wilson scoring record
The first half was a defensive battle. The Fever ran out to a 7-0 lead to open the game, but a trio of Wilson buckets brought the Aces back to near even at 7-6. Indiana extended their lead to five a couple of times, but eventually Las Vegas evened the score at 15 before taking the lead at 20-18.
That set the stage for the Aces to take control in the second quarter. They quickly added to their lead to go up by seven, 25-18, then extended that advantage to 30-21. The lead got up to 11 before Indiana, closed to within nine on a running layup by Caitlin Clark.
Neither team had much to offer offensively. Wilson was definitely off after sitting out the Aces loss to the Liberty, shooting well below par, and Clark was harassed into turnovers and poor shooting by the Aces tough defensive backcourt. The one player who did shine was Kelsey Mitchell, who was on fire early and a big part of the reason Indiana was able to stay in the game.
But Wilson's record-setting shot helped set the tone for the second half. Vegas led 41-32 at intermission, and they held onto that lead until the final buzzer, with Wilson once again leading the way.
Indiana threatens, but the Aces hang on
The Fever made a serious charge in the third quarter, with Mitchell bringing them to within six with a three-pointer, and Clark nearly pushed Indiana over the top with a three-point play that narrowed the gap to 49-48. That was as close as they got, though, as Wilson hit a 20-footer on the Aces subsequent possession, and Kelsey Plum added eight for the quarter to keep Vegas afloat and back on top, 64-57, at the end of the quarter.
This game was all about A'ja Wilson, but you won't find the key to the game in her stats. She shot just 11 for 28 from the field, but she was the Aces big scoring threat, and she added 12 points along with two assists and two steals. She was big in the fourth, too, with 11 points, and Alysha Clark added 14 on the night to back Wilson up.
Clark, meanwhile, had one of her worst statistical games of the season, and Boston had little to offer as well. They'll definitely be looking to turn the tables on the Aces on Friday and stop a 14-game Fever losing streak against Vegas when these two teams meet in the second game of their back to back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The action got feisty and spicy, too
Given what's at stake as the playoff race heats up, it wasn't exactly surprising that things got a little feisty at times. Clark took an elbow to the mouth, and Aces coach Becky Hammon got hot and bothered after getting hit with a late technical. These two teams don't meet often enough for them to be considered rivals, but some serious seeds are definitely getting planted in this back to back.