Game 1 of their first-round series could not have gone better for the Las Vegas Aces or worse for the Indiana Fever. The Aces dominated early, building a lead as large as 27, They won the rebuilding battle, forced 16 turnovers, hit 47.4 percent from beyond the arc and made nearly 60 percent from the field. In the middle of it all, as usual, was presumptive MVP A'ja Wilson who put up 38 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks and shooting 15-of-19 from the field.
They can't count on everything going as smoothly in Game 2 on the road but they established themselves as the dominant force in the series and put the Fever on their heels.
The good news for the Fever is that both Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston were able to play in Game 1, despite being listed in the injury report. They're both listed as probable for Game 2 and Indiana will need them to play, and play a lot better, if they're going to have a chance. Boston put up decent numbers but offered precious little resistance to Wilson in the paint. Clark and backcourt mate Kelsey Mitchell struggled mightily, combining for just 27 points on 10-of-27 from the field with 9 turnovers.
The Fever could also use a lot more from the supporting cast, including x-factor Makayla Timpson and veterans Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull.
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