The Indiana Fever defeated the Las Vegas Aces 80-70 on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 21 points and four assists on 8-for-24, including 3-for-9 from 3-point range. Natasha Howard finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and three steals on 6-for-9.
Sophie Cunningham added 15 points on 4-for-5 (3-for-4 on 3-pointers), while Aliyah Boston chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds.
A'ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 20 points and six rebounds on 7-for-17. Jackie Young finished with 19 points, three rebounds and three assists on 8-for-14, including 1-for-4 from 3-point range. NaLyssa Smith added 10 points and 10 rebounds on 4-for-8.
Fever star Caitlin Clark missed the game due to a right groin injury — her 12th missed game this season.
With the win, the Fever (13-12) avoided losing a third straight game. On the other hand, the Aces dropped to 12-12, and their three-game winning streak was snapped.
Las Vegas will visit the league-leading Minnesota Lynx (21-4) on the second game of a back-to-back on Friday. Meanwhile, Indiana will return to action on Sunday against the Chicago Sky at the United Center.
Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever player stats and box score
Indiana Fever player stats and box score
Las Vegas Aces player stats and box score
Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever game summary
At the end of the opening quarter, the game is tied at 18. Sophie Cunningham had five points for the Indiana Fever, while Jackie Young scored six points for the Las Vegas Aces, which closed the quarter on a 10-2 run.
Las Vegas outscored Indiana 23-17 in the second quarter to take a 41-35 lead into the halftime break. The Aces closed the half on a 12-2 run. Young led Las Vegas with 13 points on 5-for-7, while A'ja Wilson added 12 points on 5-for-11. No other Aces player scored more than four points in the first half.
On the other hand, Cunningham, Natasha Howard, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell each scored seven points for the Fever. Howard also grabbed seven rebounds. The four players combined to shoot 4-for-8 from 3-point range.
The Fever started the second half on a 10-4 run to tie the game at 45. Indiana outscored Las Vegas 27-15 in the third quarter. The Fever had a six-point lead (62-56) heading into the final frame.
Indiana increased its lead to nine (75-66) with about two minutes remaining. The Fever also outscored the Aces 18-14 in the final quarter.