The Las Vegas Aces have been the league’s powerhouse for two straight seasons, boasting MVP-caliber talent, depth across every position, and championship swagger. But as dominant as they’ve been, their biggest weakness has been glaring at just the wrong moments — and the Indiana Fever, riding the wave of momentum after ousting the Atlanta Dream, may have just the formula to exploit it.
The question burning across the WNBA landscape is simple: can the Fever really make the Finals?
For the Aces, the Achilles heel has been their frontcourt depth. A’ja Wilson is a generational talent and continues to put up absurd stat lines, but when teams double her or force her into foul trouble, Las Vegas often struggles to maintain dominance in the paint.
Against taller, more physical frontcourts, the Aces have been beaten on the boards and punished with second-chance opportunities. This problem nearly cost them earlier in the year against Seattle and Minnesota, where opponents repeatedly tested their rim protection and exposed their thin rotation behind Wilson.
Enter Aliyah Boston. The Fever’s sophomore star has already proven she can go toe-to-toe with the league’s elite bigs. Boston’s combination of strength, rebounding instincts, and polished post game makes her the perfect counter to Las Vegas’ reliance on Wilson. If Boston establishes herself early in the semifinals, the Fever will force the Aces to stretch their rotations thin, potentially leaving them vulnerable when Wilson needs a breather.
But the Fever’s potential path to the Finals isn’t just about Boston. Lexie Hull’s breakout performance in the Atlanta series reminded everyone that Indiana has versatile wings capable of defending, shooting, and closing games with poise.
Hull’s ability to lock down perimeter scorers could be critical against Jackie Young or Kelsey Plum, who thrive when they get downhill or find rhythm beyond the arc. Combine that with Brianna Turner’s defensive energy and the Fever suddenly have a formula that could slow the Aces just enough to make games winnable in the fourth quarter.
Of course, everything comes back to Caitlin Clark. Even while managing her health and adjusting to the playoff spotlight, Clark’s gravity on the floor completely shifts defenses. Las Vegas knows they can’t sag off her without risking a barrage of deep threes, and that attention opens lanes for Boston, Hull, and others.
The Fever’s ability to space the floor around their star rookie could become the X-factor in stretching out the Aces’ defense and creating mismatches in crunch time.
The biggest question for Indiana isn’t whether they can hang with Las Vegas for stretches — it’s whether they can close. The Aces have championship experience, and their core of Wilson, Plum, Young, and Chelsea Gray has been through every pressure-packed scenario imaginable.
Indiana, meanwhile, is still young, raw, and prone to stretches of inconsistency. Inexperience has doomed many upstart teams in playoff history, and the Fever will have to prove that their grit and chemistry outweigh the bright lights of the semifinal stage.
Still, momentum is real, and Indiana has it. Their upset win over Atlanta wasn’t just a victory — it was a statement that the Fever are no longer rebuilding. With Boston asserting herself as a force, Hull stepping into a bigger role, and Clark’s playmaking electrifying the offense, Indiana looks like a team peaking at the perfect time. And if there’s ever a moment to catch the Aces with their guard down, it’s now.
If the Fever can out-rebound Las Vegas, force Wilson into heavy minutes, and capitalize on their shooting, a Finals appearance is absolutely within reach. The Aces may be favorites on paper, but the Fever have shown all season that they thrive as underdogs.
Their chemistry, energy, and star power have already carried them further than many predicted — and now the league waits to see if they can shock the world again.
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