A’ja Wilson matched her playoff career highs in scoring and rebounding, finishing with 38 and 16, to lead the third-seeded Las Vegas Aces to a 102-85 win over the visiting sixth-seeded Indiana Fever on Sunday.
Las Vegas (1-0) took control of the best-of-three series opener in the second quarter when Wilson scored 11 of the Aces’ 26 points during a pivotal run.
Las Vegas broke open a game which was tied at 36 with 7:20 remaining before halftime to go into intermission with a 62-47 lead. Indiana (0-1) never recovered, trailing in the second half by as many as 27 points.
Wilson’s dominance was the catalyst for the Aces. She shot a blistering 15-of-19 from the floor on a variety of interior baskets and mid-range jumpshots set up on spin moves from the high- and low-post.
Wilson’s 16 rebounds also helped Las Vegas to a 31-24 advantage on the glass.
With her effort in both phases, Wilson produced just the fourth playoff game of 35-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in league history. She is also responsible for the third, which came in last year’s postseason against the Fever as well.
Complementing Wilson from the perimeter was Jackie Young, who went for 21 points and 10 assists. Young shot 3-of-7 from 3-point range, leading the Aces to a 9-of-19 afternoon as a team from long range (47.4%).
Indiana, meanwhile, knocked down 12-of-31 from beyond the arc (38.7%), with Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Sophie Cunningham making three apiece. The Fever managed only 18-of-36 shooting from inside the arc, however, while the Aces went 29-of-45.
Boston led Indiana with 18 points, and Clark recorded a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists. Las Vegas limited Indiana’s season-long leading scorer, Kelsey Mitchell, to just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the floor, including 1-of-6 from 3-point range.
The backcourt of Mitchell and Clark also combined for nine of Indiana’s 16 turnovers, which the Aces converted into 28 points.
Game 2 is set for Tuesday night in Indianapolis.
–Field Level Media
