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    Aces prepare to begin series with never-say-die Fever

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    By Derek Hegna,Dice City Sports

    Copyright yardbarker

    Aces prepare to begin series with never-say-die Fever

    After an exciting first round, the WNBA semifinals is finally set to begin.

    For the Las Vegas Aces, the road back to the finals begins on Sunday when they take on the Indiana Fever at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

    The Aces and Fever both locked in their series on Thursday by winning elimination Game Threes by the slimmest of margins. The Fever sent home the higher-seeded Atlanta Dream with a 87-85 victory, while the Aces took care of business against the Seattle Storm in a 74-73 win.

    Here are a few other storylines to keep track of as the action tips off.

    M’VP is ready

    Prior to tipoff, the WNBA confirmed that Aces superstar A’ja Wilson won her fourth MVP award, the most in league history.

    Wilson’s superhuman second half of the season played a direct role in getting the Aces to this point, and her 38 points in Game Three tied her playoff scoring record. She continues to be the most dominant player in the WNBA, able to take over games at a moment’s notice. With Wilson’s place in history now cemented, expect her to celebrate the occasion by hoping for a major performance.

    Playing with house money

    Heading into this series, the Fever come in with significantly less pressure on themselves than the Aces do.

    After many believed their hopes dashed amidst a wave of season-ending injuries (including to superstar Caitlin Clark), the Fever have hung tough and won two straight games against the Dream due to a stingy defensive effort. Full credit deserves to go to head coach Stephanie White and the roster lead by MVP finalist Kelsey Mitchell for getting the Fever to overcome the odds. With a ‘why not us’ mentality beginning to take over, the Aces will need to nip that in the bud as early as possible.

    Needing balance

    Another major reason why the Aces should be wary of the Fever is their scoring balance, with four players averaging double-digit points per game during the regular season (Clark would have made it five).

    As a result, the Aces are going to need more out of their contributors to keep pace. Teams know what the championship-winning trio of Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray are capable of, but they could still use another player or two to elevate their game. Jewell Loyd is the obvious choice coming off the bench, but if at least one of NaLyssa Smith, Dana Evans or Kierstan Bell can get hot at key moments, the Aces will be much better off for it.

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