The Fever are used to playing road games that often feel like they’re at Gainbridge Fieldhouse or at least a neutral facility of the team’s strong national following.
asserted
they → use → following
That wasn’t the case Sunday when Indiana took the Las Vegas court in the face of a hostile crowd that even booed Caitlin Clark when she had the ball.
asserted
she → take → ball
The third-seeded Aces, behind a spectacular performance from A’ja Wilson, trounced the No. 6 Fever 102-85 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three opening-round WNBA playoffs series.
asserted
Aces → trounce → series
That means the Fever might be getting ready to play their last game of the season at home.
uncertain
Fever → mean → home
They must win Tuesday night to force a deciding Game 3 back in Las Vegas.
asserted
They → win → Vegas
“Certainly, we need to prioritize some things we did on the defensive end of the floor,” Fever coach Stephanie White said.
asserted
White → need → floor
“But we also need to prioritize offense because Vegas is a great offensive team.
asserted
Vegas → need → offense
They’re going to make tough shots, and some of the ones they made early were tough shots.”
asserted
they → go → ones
The Aces, who have won three of the past four WNBA championships, are tough when they get up on an opponent.
asserted
they → win → opponent
They went 9-4 in close-out games in 2022, 2023 and 2025, the years the Aces won titles.
asserted
Aces → go → titles
And now Las Vegas will try to do it again in facing the league’s highest-scoring team in the regular season.
asserted
Vegas → try → season
The Fever averaged 96.0 points per game; the Aces were second at 91.5.
asserted
Aces → average → 91.5
“That’s not a team you want to give any life to,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said.
asserted
Hammon → ’ → life
“They can just score in bunches.
asserted
They → score → bunches
You’re just going to have to work.”
asserted
You → go → ?
It doesn’t hurt Las Vegas that the world’s best player is on its roster.
asserted
player → hurt → roster
Wilson, named the Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year on Sunday for an unprecedented third year in a row, dominated the Fever by finishing with 38 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots.
asserted
Wilson → name → points
If that A’ja Wilson shows up in Game 2, the Fever likely will be headed to an earlier offseason than they hoped.
asserted
they → show → offseason
But it’s not just Wilson.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Guards Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young are decorated veterans, and the trio has been the core of the Aces’ dynastic run.
asserted
trio → decorate → run
“I think there’s a commitment there to want to play and be great and try to pull the best out of each other, and that’s something that takes time,” Gray said.
asserted
Gray → think → time
“It takes trust.
asserted
It → take → trust
When we’re getting on each other, we know it comes from a good place, and that doesn’t just happen overnight.
asserted
that → get → place
Both coaches criticized the first-round format, saying it should be five games and the league should consider staging series before the finals within each conference to cut down on the travel.
asserted
league → criticize → travel
Maybe that changes in future years, but this is the situation and it’s a familiar one.
asserted
it → change → years
The Aces had to go through Indiana in last season’s semifinals before sweeping Phoenix in the WNBA Finals.
asserted
Aces → have → Finals
But the Fever made Las Vegas work for it, taking the Aces to overtime of the deciding Game 5.
asserted
Vegas → make → Game
Maybe the Fever, backed by their home crowd, can push the Aces again and force a Game 3.
asserted
Fever → back → Game
Indiana can’t do anything about what happened in the first game.
asserted
what → do → game
“I think in a series, you flush (the result) regardless,” Fever All-Star post player Aliyah Boston said.
asserted
Boston → think → result
“You come off a win, you’re like yes, that’s great, but you have another game.
asserted
you → come → game
They’re going to come out and they’re going to play hard.
asserted
they → go → ?
We’re looking at it like we didn’t play our best basketball.
asserted
we → look → basketball
It wasn’t great (Sunday), but we have another chance at home.
asserted
we → have → home
So we just have to be ready to go, and that’s our focus right now.”
asserted
that → have → ?
The Aporia
