FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Fever - Game 6 - 2023

FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Fever – Game 6 – 2023

Franchise Sports Media

Las Vegas Aces (6-0) | Indiana Fever (1-4)

 

The Las Vegas Aces escaped with an 84-80 victory over the Indiana Fever, protecting their perfect record.

The Aces vs Fever played at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.

The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Indiana Fever 84-80 to extend their franchise record for consecutive wins to open a season.

The Aces are now 6-0 to start a season for the first time in franchise history, and they have won 10 straight regular-season games dating back to 2022.

Despite the win, the Aces had their WNBA record for consecutive games scoring at least 90 points stopped at five games.

A’ja Wilson scored a season-high 27 points (10-of-18 FGs, 0-for-2 3s, 7-of-10 FTs), grabbed ten rebounds, secured four dimes, and blocked four shots. Wilson is now 27 points shy of 3,000 total for her career.

Wilson scored in double figures for the 30th consecutive regular season game, the third-longest active streak in the WNBA, and the 6th-longest streak in Aces’ franchise history.

Wilson also collected two steals and has at least one steal in 26 straight games, the longest active streak in the league. The Aces franchise record is 28 straight games held by Sophia Young-Malcolm.

The Aces handled business against the Fever

Wilson’s four blocked shots extended her streak of at least one blocked shot to nine games, which is also the longest active streak in the league.

The start of the Aces vs Fever first half. 

Candace Parker moved into sole possession of seventh place on the WNBA’s career assists list.

The Indiana hometown star, Jackie Young, had 19 points (8-of-15 FGs, 1-for-3 3s), four rebounds, and four assists. Chelsea Gray added 17 points (7-of-15 FGs, 2-for-5 3s) with eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 22 points, hitting five of six 3-point attempts. Erica Wheeler added 15 points. Nalyssa Smith had 10 points (4-of-14 FGs, 0-for-2 3s) and nine rebounds. Aliyah Boston got into foul trouble and had just seven points and four rebounds in her first matchup against Wilson.

Neither team shot well in the second quarter, as they combined to make 10-of-37 shots. Las Vegas scored the quarter’s final six points to slice the Indiana lead to one. Boston picked up her third personal foul with four minutes to go in the quarter and logged just eight minutes in the first 20 minutes of play.

The end of the Aces vs Fever first half. 

The Aces trailed by 10 points after Indiana’s Mitchell hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, closing the game on a 23-9 run.

The start of the Aces vs Fever second half. 

Las Vegas used an 11-1 run capped by a three-point play by Gray that tied the game with 4:03 to play. Wheeler answered with a layup and a 3 with 2:32 remaining that gave the Fever a five-point lead. However, after Plum scored inside for the Aces, Young made back-to-back layups to make it 80-79.

The Fever had a chance to tie it, but Mitchell missed a layup with 15 seconds left, allowing Las Vegas to dribble the clock down until Alysha Clark was fouled with 1.7 seconds left and hit two free throws to seal the game.

Indiana was on fire from beyond the arc in this one, going 11-of-19 from 3-point range, while the Aces, who entered the game making 37.6 percent from afar, made 4-of-21 from distance (19 percent).

Las Vegas outscored Indiana 44-28 in points in the paint and 17-11 in fast break points. The Aces committed just five turnovers which is the fewest in a WNBA game this season.

A massive contributor for Indiana was their bench, who outscored Las Vegas’ reserves 24-5.

After allowing 28 points in the first quarter, the Aces held the Fever to 11 in the second.

Riquna Williams did not dress for the Aces again due to a lower back injury; she has yet to suit up this season.

The final score of the Aces vs Fever was 84-80, Fever.

The Aces will now take on the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, June 6th, at 4:00 pm PST.

 

– Jake Ideguchi-Furukawa – Franchise Sports Media

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