WNBA: Can A’ja, Aces avoid a Fever upset to return to the Finals?

It all comes down to this. One game with everything on the line.

The resurgent and No. 2-seed Las Vegas Aces, who saved their season from what appeared to be a possible last hurrah in an era they had done nothing short of dominate, face the No. 6-seed Indiana Fever, who are one game away from the WNBA Finals without Caitlin Clark and a large chunk of their roster due to injuries.

Yeah, not the outcome you would’ve guessed had you been asked to predict the WNBA semifinals before the All-Star break. But here we are. A trip to the WNBA Finals is on the line when Game 5 tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday night (ESPN2).

So, who wants it more? And what’s at stake?

This game means a lot. You’ve got the championship pedigree, the chip on your shoulder and the expectation from the entire world that winning this game is bound to happen, right?

There’s no way that the Aces, despite a subpar start to their season, could go from scorchingly hot to… losing to a depleted Fever team one game short of a statement-making return to the WNBA Finals?

The Aces don’t want to lose this game—of course, no team ever wants to lose these games—but for the Aces, there’s weight with it. A’ja Wilson just won MVP and DPOY in the same season (again), and Vegas went from a written-off to the team everyone bought back fully into towards the end of this season. The Aces were built for these types of moments, and Game 5 on Tuesday will prove if they still are.

Wilson has been nothing short of phenomenal, but the harsh reality is that she cannot do it alone. If the Aces want a chance to clinch this series and inch closer to another ring, then it’s going to come down to the bench.

The Aces bench, which has been a point of emphasis all season, has to have a “next up” mentality, something that the squad has been missing for most of the season. If the Aces want to win this series, the bench needs a big game, and if there’s ever been a time Las Vegas has needed the “Jewell Loyd Game,” it is definitely this one, as she has severely struggled to find her footing this entire series.

The world is watching. Do the Aces still have it?

You probably really want to win this game. Not only because you’d be going to the WNBA Finals, but because you’d also prove to yourselves (and the world) that you’ve arrived and you’re ready to compete. Win or lose, how amazing is it that a Fever team missing a large chunk of their roster is one game away from the WNBA Finals?

The Fever only have this game to lose (which, in fairness, is still a lot). But, they still would have more than enough to be happy about. Kelsey Mitchell has been unbelievable all series long, Aliyah Boston has shown some early flashes of how great she can be and the Fever have confirmed the type of culture they are brewing up in Indy, all while the hoops world has seemingly slept on this sudden rise to the top without their biggest name.

Indiana really could stun the Aces and the world.

They have proven throughout this postseason run that the most dangerous thing you can do is hit the snooze button on them, and if they come out with enough fire early, the Aces could find themselves in trouble. If they’re able to capitalize on this moment versus a team that has made an identity of this being their type of the moment, it would be a grand way to kick off their official coming-out party as a true championship-caliber organization.

Win or lose, there are starting something in Indiana, and the vibes are immaculate.

No. 2-seed Las Vegas Aces (2-2) vs. No. 6-seed Indiana Fever (2-2)