INDIANAPOLIS — It was the rare game where Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson didn’t have MVP-type scoring. Yet she still had MVP impact.
Las Vegas beat the Indiana Fever 84-72 on Friday, taking a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series. With one more victory, Las Vegas will advance to the WNBA Finals for the third time in four years. The Aces won the title in 2022 and 2023.
They got the job done in Game 3 led by 25 points from Jackie Young, 15 from fellow guard Chelsea Gray and 16 from forward NaLyssa Smith. Guard Dana Evans also had 10 crucial points off the bench for Las Vegas.
All that helped the Aces prevail, even though Wilson had just 13 points on 6-of-20 shooting. That was her lowest point total in these playoffs, and far off her regular-season average of 23.4 points, which led the WNBA.
Yet Wilson’s defense was still a huge factor in holding the Fever to 35.6% shooting (26 of 73). Wilson, who had three blocks, and Smith combined to keep the Fever to 4-of-22 shooting (18%) when either of them contested a shot, according to ESPN Research. Indiana was 3 of 10 against Smith and 1 of 12 against Wilson, who was the WNBA co-Defensive Player of the Year this season along with winning her fourth MVP.
“It just shows she’s human,” Smith said of Wilson’s offensive struggles. “I mean, the way she’s been playing this season, it’s hard to tell she’s human. We’re all going to have those [rough] games. That’s when we have to step up and pour into her … give a little bit more.
“But we still feed off her. I told her at halftime, ‘We won’t win this game without you.’ So even though her offense wasn’t where she wanted it to be, her defense was still on. She’s still that person we need on the floor.”
