Having lost the last 2 games in which the Aces and the Fever clashed, Hammon looked to change the narrative in the Semi-Finals. Hammon had even issued a warning, saying, “They haven’t seen the real Aces yet…. So we’ll buckle in, hone in where we can, and take care of business”. Unfortunately, her bold message didn’t materialize in Game 1, as the Aces lost on home court by a 73-89 score. Now, with the Indiana Fever just 2 wins away from making its first Finals since 2015, an analyst gave a hint to Caitlin Clark’s squad, related to A’ja Wilson, that could secure another win for them.
In the aftermath of Game 1, Courtside Club’s Rachel A. DeMita discussed the Aces’ loss in an episode of her podcast. During the segment, she highlighted that the Indiana Fever beat the Aces by 16 points because “they held A’ja to under 20 points. If you hold A’ja to under 20 points in any game, the Aces aren’t winning”. DeMita even suggested that the team should change its name to the ‘Las Vegas A’jas’ since, according to her, the Aces are fully reliant on her to lead them.
“There was a moment in tonight’s game that basically just put on display the biggest weakness with the Las Vegas Aces. So, there was a point in time when A’ja got her fourth foul. So, she was in foul trouble, and she headed to the bench. At this point in time, the Indiana Fever was winning by three points against the Aces. By the time Aj’a came back into the game, which was just a few minutes later because she had to, the Fever were up by 14 points,” said DeMita. “They went on an 11-0 run to put them up 14 because Aj’a was on the bench. Aj’a changes the entire game.”
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The Aces leaned heavily on Wilson in Game 1, and it showed. She didn’t get much help from her teammates, as the team made just 40% of their shots and less than 30% of their 3-pointers. Then, as DeMita highlighted, midway through the third quarter, A’ja Wilson found herself in foul trouble, picking up her fourth while contesting a Lexie Hull layup with 3:21 remaining. At that moment, the Aces had strung together a 10-0 run and cut the deficit to just four points. But Wilson’s exit stalled their momentum, and Indiana responded with a 12-2 spurt, leaving Las Vegas trailing 69-55 as the fourth quarter began.
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Still, it’s fair to say Wilson didn’t quite deliver an MVP-level performance. Whether it was simply an off night or the result of Stephanie White’s game plan is something the next matchup will reveal.
It was only a few hours ago when A’ja Wilson earned her 4th WNBA MVP title, becoming the first player in the league to have ever achieved this feat. However, that win was soon overshadowed by the 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 1 assist she scored against the Indiana Fever in Game 1. Wilson struggled a lot on the shooting front, as she recorded 6-22 (27.3%) field goals, 0-1 (0.0%) 3-pointers, and 4-5 (80.0%) free throws. The 2025 MVP wasn’t even the highest individual scorer for her own team, as Jackie Young led the Aces with 19 points.
According to Forbes, the key to the Indiana Fever’s win was the pace of play and the disruptive, aggressive defense of the Fever. This was seen in regards to A’ja Wilson, as the 29-year-old missed her first six field goal attempts and was held to just one field goal the entire second half. The Fever completely squashed her postseason average of 10.7 free throws.
Additionally, Boston really did “annoy” her. Wilson was forced to make a majority of looks from the paint, and at point-blank range, when under pressure from forward Aliyah Boston. As Swish Apparel’s Josh Felton highlighted, Boston guarded the Aces star on 35 possessions and limited her to a 16.7% Field goal percentage.
It’s worth remembering that the Aces have managed to win 6 of their last 10 games even when A’ja Wilson scored 20 points or fewer. But the playoffs are a different stage, where every player’s best is needed. Wilson made her mistakes, though none that her head coach felt deserved criticism.
Becky Hammon defended A’ja Wilson After Aces’ Loss
After Game 1, Becky Hammon participated in a presser. During the same time, she gave her flowers to the Indiana Fever by saying that they “won all three categories (pace of play and the disruptive, aggressive defense) and they played with a greater sense of urgency”.
Hammon gave a separate shoutout to Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 34 points, along with 1 rebound and 3 assists, through 12-23 (52.2%) field goals, 4-6 (66.7%) 3-pointers, and 6-6 (100.0%) free throws. Hammon admitted that “we had no answer for [Kelsey] Mitchell—couldn’t even attempt to slow her down a little bit”. However, she wasn’t willing to put down her own star player just because the rival team’s star player did well.
“It’s a level of concern. I know we’re capable, but not when we play like that,” said Hammon when revealing postgame that the Fever’s ability to neutralize A’ja Wilson was the turning point. “You know, God forbid A’ja doesn’t drop 40 for us”.
Even though A’ja Wilson hit only 27.3% field goals, the Aces head coach defended her by adding, “Honestly, she had a lot of great looks and she just missed. It happens. Even the greatest players have off nights where they miss”. Well, if there was ever a time to not falter or have a bad night, it is the Semi-Finals. However, Hammon wants to put Game 1 in the rear-view mirror. After all, according to her, “she doesn’t normally play two stinkers in a row”.
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Do you think the 2025 WNBA MVP will have a better night in Game 2 against the Indiana Fever’s defense? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.