The Indiana Fever vs Las Vegas Aces was one of the two playoff games scheduled on Sunday, Sept. 21. It was the first time that the Indiana Fever had reached the second round of the playoffs, and they opened the game with the intention to make the most of the opportunity.
With MVP A'ja Wilson struggling to score, the Fever took an early 8-point lead behind Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard. However, the Aces quickly recovered and ended the quarter with a comfortable 18-19 score, cutting the lead to just one point, behind Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young.
Wilson regained her game in the second quarter and led the Aces' attack. Three consecutive points from Wilson gave the Aces a 2-point lead early in the quarter. NaLyssa Smith followed up with a layup, extending the lead to four points.
The next few minutes saw the Aces and the Fever exchange buckets and leads before halftime. Mitchell led all the scorers with her masterful performance in the second quarter. By halftime, the Fever led 41-46, leading by 5 points.
The Indiana Fever took the game over after halftime. Mitchell who had 15 points by halftime, took the game over in the second half, scoring 19 points in the last two quarter. The Fever scored 6 straight points to start the third quarter and took a 9-point lead.
Behind Odyssey Sims and Mitchell's elite offense, the Fever ended the third quarter with a 14-point lead and a 69-55 score. Kelsey Mitchell scored 14 points in the quarter.
Trailing by 14 points and their best player struggling on offense, the Aces tried to make a comeback in the last 10 minutes, but failed. The fourth quarter started with the Fever extending the lead to 16 points. Wilson failed to score a point in the final regulation.
The Fever had a blowout 16-point win, holding the Aces to just 73 points. Kelsey Mitchell led the game with 34 points. A'ja Wilson scored just 16 points, shooting 6 of 22 shots from the field. Jackie Young led the Aces with 19 points.