Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-28 · by Mark Anderson The Associated Press
In Game 1 of their best-of-three series, the Indiana Fever faced a hostile crowd and lost to the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces with a score of 102-85 in the WNBA playoffs. Caitlin Clark was booed when she had the ball, and star player A’ja Wilson dominated with 38 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks. The Fever must now win Game 2 at home to avoid an early playoff exit.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-29,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
The Fever are used to playing road games that often feel like they’re at Gainbridge Fieldhouse or at least a neutral facility of the team’s strong national following.
asserted
they → use → following
That wasn’t the case Sunday when Indiana took the Las Vegas court in the face of a hostile crowd that even booed Caitlin Clark when she had the ball.
asserted
she → take → ball
The third-seeded Aces, behind a spectacular performance from A’ja Wilson, trounced the No. 6 Fever 102-85 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three opening-round WNBA playoffs series.
asserted
Aces → trounce → series
That means the Fever might be getting ready to play their last game of the season at home.
uncertain
Fever → mean → home
They must win Tuesday night to force a deciding Game 3 back in Las Vegas.
asserted
They → win → Vegas
“Certainly, we need to prioritize some things we did on the defensive end of the floor,” Fever coach Stephanie White said.
asserted
White → need → floor
“But we also need to prioritize offense because Vegas is a great offensive team.
asserted
Vegas → need → offense
They’re going to make tough shots, and some of the ones they made early were tough shots.”
asserted
they → go → ones
The Aces, who have won three of the past four WNBA championships, are tough when they get up on an opponent.
asserted
they → win → opponent
They went 9-4 in close-out games in 2022, 2023 and 2025, the years the Aces won titles.
asserted
Aces → go → titles
And now Las Vegas will try to do it again in facing the league’s highest-scoring team in the regular season.
asserted
Vegas → try → season
The Fever averaged 96.0 points per game; the Aces were second at 91.5.
asserted
Aces → average → 91.5
“That’s not a team you want to give any life to,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said.
asserted
Hammon → ’ → life
“They can just score in bunches.
asserted
They → score → bunches
You’re just going to have to work.”
asserted
You → go → ?
It doesn’t hurt Las Vegas that the world’s best player is on its roster.
asserted
player → hurt → roster
Wilson, named the Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year on Sunday for an unprecedented third year in a row, dominated the Fever by finishing with 38 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots.
asserted
Wilson → name → points
If that A’ja Wilson shows up in Game 2, the Fever likely will be headed to an earlier offseason than they hoped.
asserted
they → show → offseason
But it’s not just Wilson.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Guards Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young are decorated veterans, and the trio has been the core of the Aces’ dynastic run.
asserted
trio → decorate → run
“I think there’s a commitment there to want to play and be great and try to pull the best out of each other, and that’s something that takes time,” Gray said.
asserted
Gray → think → time
“It takes trust.
asserted
It → take → trust
When we’re getting on each other, we know it comes from a good place, and that doesn’t just happen overnight.
asserted
that → get → place
Both coaches criticized the first-round format, saying it should be five games and the league should consider staging series before the finals within each conference to cut down on the travel.
asserted
league → criticize → travel
Maybe that changes in future years, but this is the situation and it’s a familiar one.
asserted
it → change → years
The Aces had to go through Indiana in last season’s semifinals before sweeping Phoenix in the WNBA Finals.
asserted
Aces → have → Finals
But the Fever made Las Vegas work for it, taking the Aces to overtime of the deciding Game 5.
asserted
Vegas → make → Game
Maybe the Fever, backed by their home crowd, can push the Aces again and force a Game 3.
asserted
Fever → back → Game
Indiana can’t do anything about what happened in the first game.
asserted
what → do → game
“I think in a series, you flush (the result) regardless,” Fever All-Star post player Aliyah Boston said.
asserted
Boston → think → result
“You come off a win, you’re like yes, that’s great, but you have another game.
asserted
you → come → game
They’re going to come out and they’re going to play hard.
asserted
they → go → ?
We’re looking at it like we didn’t play our best basketball.
asserted
we → look → basketball
It wasn’t great (Sunday), but we have another chance at home.
asserted
we → have → home
So we just have to be ready to go, and that’s our focus right now.”
asserted
that → have → ?
The Aporia
