On Sunday, the Indiana Fever came out of the gates with determination. As Coach Stephanie White put it, ‘It’s desperation. It’s not a reckless desperation; it’s just a desperation in terms of the urgency you have to play with …’
The tone was set in the first quarter, where Kelsey Mitchell already scored nine points, as the Fever led 23-21. By halftime, Indiana held an eight-point lead, shot 52.8 percent from the field, and capitalized on the Aces’ turnovers with 11 fast break points.
“One more.” pic.twitter.com/yRnX6UOxSq
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 28, 2025
Roles Reversed For Third Quarter
Aliyah Boston played an important role in the win, recording 24 points and making 10 free throws, most of which came in the third quarter. That quarter proved crucial to the Fever’s victory. In Game 3, the Fever lost a five-point lead; however, on Sunday, Indiana did not waver. Instead, the Fever were able to maintain their lead and keep the Aces from taking over and gaining momentum.
“We had to come out with a little bit more fire than we did on Sunday,” said Odyssey Sims. “Not play relaxed, and especially not let them get on big runs. I think we did a great job today when they did go on their runs. We minimized them, and we were aggressive defensively, and we were able to come out with a win today.”
Aliyah Boston COMMANDED the paint in the @IndianaFever‘s win against the Las Vegas Aces 😤
Boston recorded 24 PTS (Playoff career-high) , 14 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL & 2 BLKS! She joined Tamika Catchings as the second player in franchise history to record 20+ PTS, 10+ REB & 5+ AST in a… pic.twitter.com/zO55va6lqi
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 28, 2025
As for Las Vegas, the third quarter proved to be a damaging one, as NaLyssa Smith picked up her fourth personal foul with just six minutes left. Additionally, Megan Gustafson’s defensive foul put the Aces over the limit with 4:03 remaining in the quarter. Fouls and officiating became a pivotal talking point.
“They shot a lot of free throws, we didn’t—that all affects the flow of the game, said Aces head coach Becky Hammon.”
A Disastrous Fourth Quarter Costs Aces
The fourth quarter was a defining moment for both teams, with multiple players being in foul trouble—especially Smith who picked up her fifth foul with nearly six minutes left, forcing Hammon to adjust the rotation.
The game remained close until a defensive three-second call on Gustafson led to a technical free throw, and a lost possession. The foul was a dagger for Las Vegas as the lead was pushed to five. With under two minutes left, the Aces couldn’t catch up.
Both teams had multiple players step up. For Indiana, the main focal point came from Boston, but she wasn’t the only player to make an impact. Sims bounced back from shooting 0-for-7 performance and just two points on Friday. In Game 4, she finished with 18 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor. Mitchell also contributed with 21 points.
Defensive Breakdown
For Las Vegas, A’ja Wilson exploded for 31 points, Jackie Young scored 18 points with nine assists, and Chelsea Gray put up 12 points and nine assists.
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, Sunday wasn’t enough to close out the series, as Coach Hammon, Wilson, and Gray all emphasized the need for improved defense.
“Defensively we have to be a lot better as guards in our pick up points, said Gray. And helping rebound, I gotta be better, I can’t have so many turnovers and let them go out in transition…”
I asked Chelsea Gray what do the guards need to do better going into Game 5, in order to be of more help to A’ja Wilson and have consistency: #WNBA pic.twitter.com/JG4T4B8Pon
— Isabelle (@IsabelleMM2) September 28, 2025
After Friday’s Game 3 loss, White said the night had been more about shot making, as the team made just 35.6 percent of their field goals attempts. On Sunday, the Fever improved to 44.8 percent from the field, and once again won the rebound battle.
The adjustments made from Game 3 helped save Indiana from elimination, and the Fever are one game away from the Finals. White explained the team has faced adversity, but has been able to rally around one another through selflessness. She acknowledged there is still work to be done in order in preparation for Game 5 on Tuesday.
Fever vs. Aces: Who Will Advance to the WNBA Finals?
Game 5 is expected to be intense, given everything we’ve seen from the post-game press conferences of the Aces and Fever. Throughout this series, both teams have played with physicality, trading off games in which one side was more aggressive.
The Aces have more to lose on Tuesday than Indiana, as few expected the Fever to be in this position given all the injuries and adversity they faced in the regular season. The team has come this far without Caitlin Clark, and several roster members, including Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson.
Stephanie White was asked what can she take from the Atlanta series Game 3 and today’s game to help going into Game 5:
“We’ve been through everything, so being in these type of situations isn’t new to us […]”#WNBA #NowYouKnow pic.twitter.com/2DkVFPsc3i
— Isabelle (@IsabelleMM2) September 28, 2025
With the Aces hosting Game 5 in Las Vegas, the Fever will need to maintain composure.
“What we did today is not going to be enough for Tuesday,” said Coach White.
As for Vegas, White stated on Friday that they have five Olympians on the team, including the best player in the world, and their roster is perfectly healthy. We can expect this game to be high on emotions, with every player giving it their all—but in the end, only one team can advance.
