Wilson gets last word, drops 36 as Aces oust Fever from WNBA playoffs — SkimNews
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- A'ja Wilson scored 36 points on 11-of-18 shooting with 10 rebounds, leading the third-seeded Las Vegas Aces to a 94-83 Game 3 win that clinched the WNBA first-round series over the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever.
- Wilson bookended the series with 38 points and 16 rebounds in Game 1, and her 36-point clincher ranks fourth-most in a winner-take-all WNBA postseason game in history; the league did not punish Wilson over a verbal confrontation with a fan in Indianapolis.
- Chelsea Gray added 23 points and Jackie Young scored 18 for Las Vegas, while Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 23 points and Aliyah Boston posted a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double.
- Caitlin Clark scored 11 of her 18 points in the first quarter but was held to seven the rest of the game, as the Fever were eliminated by Las Vegas for the second straight postseason.
- Tensions spilled over early — Clark and Aces forward Brianna Turner each drew technical fouls within the first three minutes, and Indiana coach Stephanie White picked up a second-quarter technical arguing a foul call.
- The Aces led 67-55 in the third quarter but made the Fever sweat, with Indiana cutting the deficit to two points twice in the fourth before Las Vegas closed it out to advance to face the Golden State-Dallas winner.
Why it matters: Las Vegas — winners of three of the past four WNBA titles — moves within two wins of a fifth straight Finals appearance while Indiana's young core absorbs a second consecutive playoff exit at the Aces' hands. Wilson's 74-point, 26-rebound series bookend reinforces her case as the league's premier postseason performer, even as officiating and physical play dominated the on-court narrative.
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