Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) drives on the Las Vegas Aces guard Chennedy Carter (23) in the first half at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sun Jul 5, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

Sunday afternoon the Las Vegas Aces took on the Indiana Fever at T-Mobile Arena. A few of the Las Vegas games have been moved to this venue due to the high demand for tickets.

For a third game in a row, A’Ja Wilson will not take the floor due to an ankle issue. Caitlan Clark is also on the injury list for the Fever. After the first two quarters it became very apparent that beating the Fever today would be a challenge.

The Aces had a one-point lead after the first ten minutes of play 23-24. At the half the Fever had taken the lead 42-41. It didn’t stop there. Indiana outscored the Aces in the third quarter 26-14 and with five minutes left in the game Las Vegas was trailing 77-62. The final was 84-68.

GAME RECAP

The Las Vegas Aces again took the court without A’Ja Wilson her third missed game in a row. The Aces are so reliant on her rebounding abilities that they may have a struggle on their hands. While they did have a slim lead after the first ten minutes of play, they were turning the ball over and unable to create very many open shots.

The Fever were successfully keeping them out of the paint and shots from beyond the arc just were not working. Las Vegas took a 24-23 lead into the second quarter looking to extend that lead.

The Fever outscored the Aces in the second quarter 19-17 and led at the half 42-41. It was still anybody’s game but Las Vegas was starting to struggle. The turnovers continued and they would have a lot to improve on in the second half. The Fever continued to keep Vegas out of the paint and second chance shots were non-existent. Despite how close this game was, the way that the Aces were operating was not looking good at all.

When the third quarter got underway the Indiana Fever took control with defense, rebounding and timely shooting. The absence of Wilson was really glaring, the team missing her scoring, rebounding and the defensive anchor that she is. The Fever were winning the battle inside. Aliyah Boston controlled the paint and the Fever grabbed key offensive rebounds that led to second-chance points. Indiana outscored the Aces 26-14 in the quarter and led going into the fourth quarter 67-55.

The Aces would have to get after it to start the final quarter but they continued to struggle. As the fourth quarter wore on Kelsey Mitchell made several big baskets whenever the Aces attempted a rally.

The Las Vegas offense had cooled off in the second half. They struggled to make shots and could not string together enough stops and scores to erase a significant deficit. The bottom line was that the Fever played a disciplined, physical game and executed better in the closing minutes. Indiana had capitalized on the absence of Wilson. The final was 84-68.

GAME NOTES

The second half was a nightmare for the Aces. The turnovers continued Las Vegas finishing with 13 conceding 13 points. The Fever took a lot more shots than the Aces and came away with numerous second chance opportunities.

Through 3 1/2 quarters the Aces did not have a single second chance ball. The Las Vegas starting lineup struggled the high for the Aces Jackie Young with only 15 points. The Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell finished with 27 points and Aliyah Boston a double double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Aces will not play again until this coming Thursday taking on the Portland Fire. A’Ja Wilson has an estimated return of July 9th which is next Thursday. While the team does not want her to re-injure her ankle they are really hurting without her.

They need her healthy upon her return. Not only is her skill invaluable, she lifts the entire team up when she is on the floor. Tipoff for Thursday’s game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.