Keep track of the winner-take-all WNBA semifinal playoff finale between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces.
What happens in Vegas will hardly be contained on Tuesday night.
Amidst an eventful day on the WNBA ledgers, a spot in the championship finale will be decided in Sin City: with their best-of-five set knotted at two games apiece, the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces face a winner-take-all finale in their semifinal set staged at Michelob Ultra Arena. The winner of Tuesday’s game will face the Phoenix Mercury in the first-ever best-of-seven WNBA Finals, which get underway on Friday night.
Seeking its first Finals showing since 2015, the Fever kept its hopes alive with a 90-83 triumph in Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse over the weekend. Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston united for 49 points, keeping up their incredible work in the wake of missing talent like Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and Aari McDonald.
Their output was enough to counter yet another sterling showing from newly-reinstalled MVP A’ja Wilson, who fell one rebound short of a double-double while scoring 31 points. Las Vegas is seeking its fourth Finals appearance of the decade, having fallen to Seattle in 2020’s Bradenton bubble before defeating Connecticut and New York in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Keep track of all the action below, with live updates commencing after tip-off.
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4th Quarter:
22.9—Sims breaks away from Wilson’s attempt at a steal and takes advantage of the de facto power play to tie the game. Timeout Vegas (88-88)
27.1—Young misses a drive, but Boston is called for a loose ball foul in the chase for the rebound, her disqualifying sixth. Indiana is challenging the call. The call is upheld, and Young goes to the line for two. She hits both to push the lead back to two. Indiana uses its reset timeout (88-86 LVA)
32.2—Las Vegas calls timeout. They’ll have five seconds to shoot.
49.9—After Las Vegas uses its reset timeout, Wilson is fouled by Turner. Indiana had a foul to give.
52.0—Sims gets to go to the line after a Young foul. She hits both…and it’s a tie game (84-84)
1:12—Vegas gets two opportunities, but a Boston rebound gives Indiana a shot.
1:50—Following the timeout, Young misses a three and Boston once again cuts the lead in half (84-82 LVA)
2:30—Sims seemingly sinks another one, but is called for an offensive foul. Timeout on the floor.
2:50—Powers’ ill-advised pass that mars a third Indiana opportunity yields another Wilson double pushing it back to two possessions (84-80 LVA)
3:41—Consecutive inside tallies for Boston and Sims shrink the lead to two (82-80 LVA)
4:29—Young sinks a three in the corner to double the lead back up (82-76 LVA)
4:52—Aerial Powers turns a steal into a fastbreak double and its suddenly a one-possession game (79-76 LVA)
5:15—Sims gets to the foul line once again, this one again charged to Smith for her fifth. She hits two after Young had a double on the other end (79-74 LVA)
5:53—Howard breaks a double-team and scores off a savvy pass from Sims to narrow the gap to five (77-72 LVA)
6:37—Following a Hull jumper, Smith is charged with her fourth foul (77-70 LVA)
7:30—Following a block of Peddy, Wilson hits a new decade with a banked double that gives her 31 for the night (her eighth playoff game with at least 30, tying a WNBA record) (77-68 LVA)
8:02—Off the feed from Gray, Wilson immediately scores out of the time (75-68 LVA)
8:20—Peddy reaches doubles figures off the bench with a three, leading to a Las Vegas timeout (73-68 LVA)
8:42—Gray beats the shot clock with a double of her own on the other end (73-65 LVA)
9:09—Sims opens fourth quarter scoring with a foul line jumper (71-65 LVA)
10:00—Aliyah Boston and her five fouls check back into the game for Indiana
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3rd Quarter: Aces 71, Fever 63
0.0—Capped off by one last fadeaway from Wilson (giving her 13 in the period), Las Vegas takes an eight-point lead into the final period.
1:02—As Wilson hits two at the foul line, ESPN’s Holly Rowe reports that Mitchell is out for the remainder of the game (69-63 LVA)
1:20—Free throws from Sims on an Evans foul trims the gap to one possession again…albeit briefly as Howard is called for a lane violation on Sims’ second success (67-63 LVA)
1:39—Howard reaches double-figures on an and-one via Young foul, which she converts (67-62 LVA)
1:58—Doubles from Hull and Howard narrow the gap but Wilson sinks a three to re-establish the lead to eight (67-59 LVA)
3:56—Young hits a three to create a new largest lead for Las Vegas (64-55 LVA)
4:50—Gray returns to the game and Wilson immediately sinks a jumper. Boston has been replaced by Howard (61-55 LVA)
5:05—Boston is called for a moving pick … her fifth foul. To make matters worse, Mitchell is down and surrounding by teammates and training staff under the basket. Timeout on the floor. Mitchell leaves the game on a stretcher, after going down without contact on the possession in question. The stretcher is pushed back, but Mitchell is assisted to the locker room by members of the Fever training staff.
5:45—As Gray returns to the Las Vegas bench, Mitchell hits a three, her third on a trio of attempts (59-55 LVA)
6:20—Wilson’s steal of a Mitchell pass leads to a fastbreak for Young, who successfully earns a double despite a Brianna Turner foul. She hits the and-one and Indiana calls timeout after Sin City takes its biggest lead of the night (59-52 LVA)
6:50—Taking advantage of Boston’s fouls, Wilson hits a double over her on the other end (56-52 LVA)
7:15—Granted extra opportunities via offensive rebounds, Howard scores just before her shot clock expires (54-52 LVA)
7:49—Young banks one in through a drive and Hull is charged with a foul. Young sinks her single, and it’s a two-possession game again (54-50 LVA)
8:13—Trying to get in Wilson’s way, Boston is charged with her fourth foul. She remains in the game.
8:15—After a collision with Sims, Gray endures a foot injury and stays down. She leaves on her own power, albeit gingerly, as she goes to the locker room. Evans re-enters the game for her.
8:23—Following Smith’s double, Sims hits a three to shrink the gap to one (51-50 LVA)
9:18—Wilson briefly creates a two-possession lead but Hull immediately shrinks it back as they exchange doubles (49-47 LVA)
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Halftime
Aces (47)
Points: A’ja Wilson (14)
Rebounds: A’ja Wilson (4)
Assists: Chelsea Gray (4)
Fever (45)
Points: Kelsey Mitchell (12)
Rebounds: Aliyah Boston (11)
Assists: 2 tied (2)
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2nd Quarter: Aces 47, Fever 45
0.0—Neither side gets on the board at the end of the period, concluding with Howard’s heave clanking off the front of the backboard.
1:05—Gray puts Las Vegas back with a pullup double (47-45 LVA)
1:15—Boston is charged with her third foul when knocking down Gustafson on a drive. She calls for a review to no avail.
1:33—A Mitchell double forces another tie but Boston is called for her second foul on the other end. Timeout on the floor with 93 ticks left in the half. Coming back from the break, Aces head coach Becky Hammon is charged with a technical foul for arguing with officials. Mitchell hits the free single, Indiana’s 15th of the night. Vegas gets its eighth when Mitchell is called for a foul before the inbounds pass is made. Gray hits the free throw. (45-45)
1:57—As things dip under two, Loyd’s corner three creates a tiny bit of separation (44-42 LVA)
2:36—Howard’s reverse layup from Sims puts Indiana back ahead (42-41 IND)
3:07—After a Boston layup, Hull gets away with a foul on Young. No harm, no foul as Sims is called for traveling to give Vegas the ball back (41-40 LVA)
3:42—Young reaches double figures at 12 when she sinks a three off a feed from the interior from Gustafson (41-38 LVA)
4:00—Gray scores off the stepback from Wilson but fouls Sims on the other end. Sims hits two for yet another tie (38-38)
4:25—Mitchell gets on the bord for the first time in the period with a three, shortly after a lack of foul call (36-36)
4:36—Wilson gets Boston to leap in the paint and easily puts into after some friendly fire takes Mitchell and Sims out of the play (36-33 LVA)
5:05—Back on the line after an Aerial Powers foul, Wilson hits one of two (34-33 LVA)
5:16—Another offensive rebound and another Vegas foul puts Boston at the line. Smith’s third forces Gustafson’s re-entry. Boston hits one-of-two to tie the game (33-33)
5:42—Wilson goes back to the line after Boston’s first foul. She hits one of two (33-32 LVA)
5:56—A Young foul is Vegas’ fifth of the period and her second. Sims hits two freebies to tie the game (32-32)
6:07—Gray shakes off Peddy for a banked jumper that puts Vegas back ahead (32-30 LVA)
6:46—Tie game again after Wilson scores when she gets two foul shots after hauling in a Young misfire (30-30)
7:20—A Smith foul is already Las Vegas’ fourth of the period. The next puts Indiana in the bonus.
7:30—Sims scores again, shortly after Boston and Gray return from short rests (30-28 IND)
7:57—Sims goes down hard on a Gray foul and hits one of two at the line. (28-28)
8:05—Young’s double puts Vegas back ahead shortly after a Sims jumper (28-27 LVA)
9:17—Dana Evans swipes the lead back with a triple (26-25 LVA)
9:36—A driving Hull double opens second period scoring and breaks the tie (25-23 IND)
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1st Quarter: Fever 23, Aces 23
0.0—Reserves end the opening period in scoring, as Gustafson and Brianna Turner exchange doubles to finish it off (23-23)
31.9—Indiana ties the game with the Peddy three and two single from Hull (21-21)
1:00—Following a Hull turnover, Wilson puts the Aces up by two possessions with a pull-up jumper (21-16 LVA)
1:39—On the other side, Megan Gustafson sinks a high-percent triple to somewhat expand on the Aces’ lead. (19-16 LVA)
1:57—Smith is charged with a foul on Mitchell as the latter is driving. Vegas challenges the call to no avail, and the foul remains. Mitchell makes one of two to tie the game (16-16)
2:10—Young hits the Aces’ first three of the night to give them the lead back (16-15 LVA)
2:32—Wilson ties the game off a savvy feed from Dana Evans (15-13 IND))
3:48—Entering after the timeout, Shey Pedey drives forward for go-ahead double (13-11 IND)
4:12—With a floater, Wilson ties the game up (11-11)
4:27—Mitchell hits the first three of the night off, you guessed it, a second opportunity. Shortly after getting her own rebound after a miss, she sinks a different one to force Las Vegas into a timeout (11-9 IND).
6:10—A minute after entry (replacing Bell), Jewell Loyd is called for knocking down Hull at the top of the key. It’s reviewed for an upgrade but the call stands.
6:20—With the shot clock dying, Gray finds Smith for a savvy double. Smith is fouled by Howard in the process and sinks the lone free throw to give Las Vegas its first lead of the night (9-8 LVA)
6:42—Mitchell shoots the game’s first free throws with Wilson charged for the foul. She hits both to get the lead back (8-6 IND)
6:51—A one-legged driving bank for Young ties the game (6-6)
7:40—Boston once against scores via second chance before Young responds with a pullup double on the other end (6-4 IND)
8:21—After consecutive turnovers for Sims, Wilson gets Las Vegas on the board with a driving double (4-2 IND)
9:02—Following a missed Smith jumper, Howard repeats the second chance opportunity to make it an early two-possession game (4-0 IND)
9:36—After a miss, Boston gets her own rebound and backs down Wilson for two (2-0 IND)
10:00—Boston wins the tip from Smith, and Game 5 is underway
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Pregame
What: Indiana Fever @ Las Vegas Aces, WNBA Semifinals, Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
Where: Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Watch: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Who’s Favored: LVA -7.5
Starting Lineups
FEVER: Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard, Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell, Odyssey Sims
ACES: Kierstan Bell, Chelsa Gray, NaLyssa Smith, A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags