A’ja Wilson turned in the kind of performance that has defined her playoff career, scoring 31 points with nine rebounds, four steals, and three blocks in the Las Vegas Aces’ 90-83 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The effort pushed her past 1,000 career postseason points, making her only the seventh player in league history to reach that mark.
But the free-throw disparity told a different story. Indiana went 26-of-34 at the line compared to just 8-of-11 for Las Vegas. Aliyah Boston matched the Aces nearly by herself, hitting 10-of-13, while Wilson finished 3-of-6 from the charity stripe.
Against that backdrop, Wilson made sure to bring up Boston’s remark earlier in the series that she benefited from a “special whistle.”
“I was just looking at fouls, like F5, Jackie F5, Chelsea F5,” Wilson said as she scanned the stat sheet. “That’s very interesting to me… we got to play better.”
A’ja Wilson talks “special whistle” after the Fever shot 29-34 from the free-throw line.
— Ballislife Womens Basketball (@ballislifewbb_) September 29, 2025
“Aliyah [Boston] did say I have a special whistle, and she shot 13 today.”
Thoughts?
h/t @IsabelleMM2 pic.twitter.com/648qXKBdTU
“She said last game I had a special whistle, which is cool,” Wilson added.
Milestones Overshadowed by Frustration
Wilson’s offensive production stood out once again. Her 31-point outing marked her 17th career 30-point playoff performance, leaving her one shy of tying Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart for the most in league history. Surpassing 1,000 postseason points added her name to an exclusive list alongside Taurasi, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles and Stewart.
Yet those milestones quickly faded in the conversation, overtaken by Wilson’s frustration with officiating and foul trouble.
A’ja Wilson delivered another monster outing in Game 4 😤
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 28, 2025
With her 7th career 30+ point playoff game, Wilson passed Angel McCoughtry for 3rd most in WNBA history. Only Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi have more.
She finished with 31 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 4 STL & 3 BLKS for the… pic.twitter.com/DthkfmGUmW
Head coach Becky Hammon echoed her concern.
“It seemed like there was a lot of grabbing and holding down there that got called one way,” Hammon said. “Tighter on both ends would have been nice.”
Hammon also took responsibility for a costly late-game mistake. With 30.1 seconds remaining, she mistakenly called an extra timeout, resulting in a technical foul that gave Indiana both a free throw and possession.
“That was a good old-fashioned mistake,” Hammon admitted. “I thought I had two in a reset and I only had one. We’ve got to be sharper there.”
Aliyah Boston Delivers a Counter
Wilson’s duel with Boston shaped the night. The Fever’s centerpiece answered with 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks, shooting 7-for-15 from the field and 10-for-13 from the free-throw line. Boston joined Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings as the only players in franchise history to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.
“It’s just being confident,” Boston said. “The fans were great, everyone showed out, and we were confident shooting the ball.”
Indiana Fever force a Game 5 against the Aces thanks to Aliyah Boston’s 24 points and 14 rebounds 👀 pic.twitter.com/RbA1wv5BE8
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) September 28, 2025
For Indiana, Boston’s ability to consistently pressure the Aces’ defense and get to the line helped offset Wilson’s big night. Her presence, combined with Kelsey Mitchell’s 25 points and Odyssey Sims’ 18, proved decisive.
“It hurts us when we can’t play less heavy minutes,” Hammon said, reflecting on Boston’s impact and her own rotation decisions. “She’s been an impactful player in this series. I’ve got to go back and look at the tape, but it seemed like there was a lot of grabbing and holding down there.”
Fever Resilient, Aces Searching
The Fever have thrived in do-or-die situations. After losing Game 1 of their first-round series to Atlanta, they responded with two straight wins. Against the Aces, they faced elimination in both Game 3 and Game 4 — and prevailed each time.
Mitchell’s perimeter scoring, Boston’s inside dominance and Sims’ late free throws carried Indiana on Sunday. Lexie Hull also contributed with seven points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Las Vegas, meanwhile, relied heavily on Wilson and Jackie Young, who had 18 points and nine assists. Chelsea Gray added 12 points, nine assists and four steals, but no other Aces player reached double figures. The imbalance left Wilson bearing much of the offensive load, while foul concerns lingered throughout the rotation.
Spotlight on Game 5
The semifinal series is now tied 2-2, with a decisive Game 5 set for Tuesday night in Las Vegas. The winner will move on to face the Phoenix Mercury in the Finals.
Wilson’s pursuit of history will again be on display. She is one 30-point playoff performance shy of tying Taurasi and Stewart’s record, and she has already averaged 24.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists through seven postseason games.
The subplot of the “special whistle” has added to an already competitive series, but the focus now shifts to a pivotal elimination game. Boston has repeatedly challenged Wilson in the paint, and the two will meet one more time with a Finals berth on the line.
“We’ve got to play better defense,” Wilson said. “That’s what it comes down to.”
For the Aces, Game 5 is about defending home court and securing another trip to the Finals. With Wilson setting the tone, Las Vegas will need her dominance once again to outlast a resilient Indiana team led by Boston and Mitchell.
