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After a tense duel, the Indiana Fever mounted a serious resistance to the Las Vegas Aces and clinched a 90-83 victory, forcing the semifinal series to a decisive Game 5 in Las Vegas. The sixth seed of the regular season fought without star point guard Caitlin Clark due to injury, but a strong performance from the trio of leaders revived Indiana’s hopes of reaching the finals.
Key moments of the Fever’s decisive clash with the Aces
The driving force was Aaliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Odyssey Sims, who added a significant contribution to the final score. Mitchell finished the game with 25 points and her decisive pull-up floater with 1:01 left on the clock put the team ahead (82-75). WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson answered with a layup, reducing the deficit to five, but she missed the technical free throw for a potential three-point play.
After that, the Aces took advantage: Lexie Hull grabbed a rebound and was fouled, but she missed both free throws. Jewell Loyd did not convert a three with 39 seconds to go, leaving the visitors’ lead at the minimum. However, Hull did not miss from the line on the next trip after a foul on the rebound following Loyd’s shot, making two free throws and moving the Fever ahead 84-77 with 36.6 seconds remaining.
Head coach Becky Hammon called a timeout with 30.1 seconds left, which ended with a technical foul and a loss of possession. Mitchell converted the free throw and increased Indiana’s lead to eight points.
Fever finished from the line: Odyssey Sims – 18 points; Mitchell – a substantial contribution, finishing the game in the closing stretch going five of six from the free-throw line, halting two straight Chelsea Gray three-pointers from the Aces. Boston was the game’s standout with 24 points (17 in the second half), 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, underscoring her all-around impact on the team’s win.
«We put everything first – it’s our philosophy that has carried us through the season. We have everything we need to win, and we’ve stuck to that rule»
– Aaliyah Boston
After the game the Aces expressed concerns about the officiating. “I’m just looking at the number of fouls on the stat sheet,” said A’ja Wilson. “They were physical and mattered, but we will play better defense in the next games.”
«Phoenix deserves credit for how they defended in the fourth quarter. They adjusted and made it hard on us. We didn’t get enough quality looks at the end»
– Erik Tibo
«I’ll say this: I have no brand»
– Becky Hammon
According to CBS Sports, in the first four games of the series between Las Vegas and Indiana there was a notable difference in fouls and free throws: the Aces were charged with 80 fouls and 61 free throws, while the Fever drew 69 fouls and converted 87 free throws. The biggest disparity occurred in the fourth game, when the Fever shot 34 free throws to 11 for the Aces. Overall, the series remains very close in terms of fouls and free throws.
The winner of the tense Game 5 will head to the Finals against the Phoenix Mercury – an unpredictable team that earned an unexpected right to the Final after beating the Minnesota Lynx 86-81 on Sunday night.
Phoenix Mercury Against All Odds: A Historic Return to the Finals
The 38-year-old Mercury leader DeWanna Bonner proved pivotal in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of her 13 points in the decisive stretch – including three long-range baskets – helping the team erase the Lynx’s early 68-55 lead. Phoenix opened the final 10 minutes with a 19-2 run, and Bonner’s trio of three-pointers kept the opponents from catching their breath.
Satu Sabally contributed 21 points for the Mercury, while Thomas recorded 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds; her near triple-double again propelled the team toward a full playoff triple-double. “We knew they would present a challenge today, and I’m proud of how we responded,” Thomas said, per the Associated Press. “We could have easily folded, but we stayed together and worked hard on defense.”
“Phoenix deserves credit for their defense in the fourth quarter,” added Eric Tibo. “They adjusted and made it tough for us. We didn’t generate enough quality opportunities at the end.”
Thus Phoenix Mercury, for the first time in five years, earned a berth to the Finals, where they will face Indiana in the championship series. Spectators anticipate a dramatic Finals between the Fever and Mercury, promising balanced and exciting basketball down to the final second.
