The playoff switch has been flipped for A’ja Wilson and company.
The Las Vegas Aces are one win away from advancing to the WNBA semifinals following a 102-85 victory over the Indiana Fever in Game 1 on Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The Fever were unable to repeat what they did against the Aces last season in the teams’ semifinal matchup, when Indiana stole Game 1 on the road, even with Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham available this time around.
The Aces can advance to the semifinals with a victory in Game 2 on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Wilson led Las Vegas in scoring with a game-high 38 points while adding 16 rebounds and four blocks. Aces guards Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young combined for 35 points and 18 assists while shooting 54 percent from the field.
The four-time MVP is coming off her third consecutive league scoring title after finishing the regular season with 1,073 points, the second-most in WNBA single-season history and 13 behind Kelsey Mitchell’s league record.
Gray’s eight assists moved her into the No. 2 spot on the WNBA’s all-time playoff assists list, while Young’s 10 assists were enough to move her past DeWanna Bonner and into the top 10 in the same category.
The victory extended the Aces’ playoff winning streak to six games, dating to the 2025 semifinal series against Indiana. Their current winning streak this season is eiught games.
Las Vegas improved to 27-9 in playoff games during the Becky Hammon era and moved one win closer to its fourth WNBA championship in five seasons.
