3 things we learned from the Aces win over the Fever

With only days left in the WNBA season, the playoff picture is starting to take its final shape.

Teams are still perfecting their rotations and playing styles, making last-minute tweaks before the crux of the season, but Some things have rung true throughout the year: A'ja Wilson is the best player on the planet, and Caitlin Clark is the most promising young star that the W has seen in years.

But other aspects of the game have taken some time to figure out. Some teams are still perfecting their rotations and playing styles, making last minute tweaks before the crux of the season.

The Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever faced off on Wednesday in the first of two games that the Aces will play in Indianapolis this week.

While the Aces prevailed with a 86-75 win, both teams learned a ton about themselves. Here's what they put on display tonight:

3. The Aces are still legitimate title contenders

Las Vegas has had their share of struggles this season, in large part due to the absence of key players, but they are turning it on at the right time.

Becky Hammon has her squad playing their best basketball again, which has positioned the Aces nicely for a deep playoff run. They currently sit fourth in the WNBA standings, which means they would host the first round of the playoffs.

A'ja Wilson has been playing at an MVP level in nearly every outing, but the Aces' supporting cast has been less consistent than in years past.

Lately, however, they seem to have figured something out, as they have won five of their last six games. The lone loss was a road contest against the New York Liberty, and the Aces lost a nailbiter with star A'ja Wilson sidelined.

As the old adage goes, defense wins championships, and Las Vegas has only given up more than 80 points a single time in their last eight games. They held Caitlin Clark in check tonight, who came into the matchup on an absolute tear.

The Aces also seem to have figured out a bit of role definition lately, as each player looks more confident with the ball in their hands. Knowing what your contributions should be can simplify the game and help players think less, which allows them to play at a higher level.

The bench players have come on strong during this stretch as well. So much so that no matter who the fifth starter is alongside Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray, the unit is a well-oiled machine.

Tiffany Hayes, Alysha Clark, Megan Gustafson and Kiah Stokes have all been able to contribute in the starting lineup or coming off the bench. The Aces may start a different player in every game due to matchups, so having this versatility is a huge benefit to them.

2. Nobody wants to see the Fever in the playoffs

The Indiana Fever have been one of the hottest teams in the W since the Olympic break.

Caitlin Clark is at the top of her game and is one of the best overall players in the league right now. But it hasn't just been her success that catapulted the Fever.

Kelsey Mitchell has emerged as a premier scoring threat, Aliyah Boston has come into her own, and the tenacious two-way play of Lexie Hull has been a spark in the second half of the season.

This team is just peaking at the right time, and I know for a fact that no team wants to draw Indiana in the first round of the playoffs. They have won 10 of their last 14 games, including six of their last eight. They play the Aces again at home on Friday, then play the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics, all of which are winnable games for this squad.

People have joked that the power of friendship has been the secret sauce for the Fever, but there is some merit to this thinking. Before the break, the team was a bit disjointed and made too many careless mistakes with the basketball because they did not know where each other would be. This lack of trust and miscommunication caused them to lose many winnable games.

Flash forward to Septemeber, and this team has a sixth sense about where each other are going to be at any given moment. Clark and Mitchell play incredibly well off of each other now, Boston has figured out how to be more efficient both in the post and in two-man actions with Clark, and Hull has been the glue keeping the group together.

If this chemistry continues to build in the final games of the season and into the postseason, then the league should look out.

1. Kelsey Mitchell is bordering on elite status

Mitchell has been an incredible player for the Indiana Fever for years now. But lately, alongside Caitlin Clark, she is finally getting the league-wide recognition that she deserves.

Although she technically plays second fiddle to Clark, she has been able to increase her scoring average and score more efficiently than she ever has in her career.

Her 24.8 points per game average after the Olympic break has been monumental for the Fever, as she has only scored below 20 points a single time in the league's second session (an 18-point performance against the Sparks).

Before the break, Mitchell was only averaging 16.9 points per game, but lately, she has not dipped below this mark. In six out of the 11 games since the break, she has shot 50 percent or better from the floor, with only a single game below 40 percent.

She was an All-Star this season, but her stock has boosted even more in response to her play lately. It took some time for her and Clark to figure out their rhythm together, but now, two of the league's most dynamic guards are playing at the top of their game, and they are doing so together.

When Mitchell is on, almost nobody in the WNBA can stop her. For the Fever's sake, let's hope she stays hot and can help lead this team on a deep playoff run.