Fever and Aces' star-studded casts ready for yet another decisive playoff game in Las Vegas

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces have gotten well acquainted after playing 13 times over the past two seasons.

They understand how to contend with each other's star-studded lineups led by four-time league MVP A'ja Wilson and three-time All-Star Caitlin Clark. They also expect the two WNBA Coaches of the Year, Becky Hammon and Stephanie White, to make all the right moves for Game 14 when they meet Thursday.

And, fittingly in Vegas, it's a winner-take-all game for the second straight year.

“This was a game they needed to win, so their urgency was a lot higher, the intensity was a lot higher," Wilson said after Tuesday’s 99-89 loss that evened the best-of-three series at 1. "I don't think they guarded me any differently, it was just the sense of urgency they played with kind of had us on our heels, the same way we had them in Game 1. So we'll be better, we'll adjust and we'll come back with a better sense of urgency, effort and heart.”

That much should be expected from a team that has won three of the last four WNBA titles.

But these matchups have been among the most intriguing in the league this season and last. A year ago, the injury riddled Fever were missing Clark, Sophie Cunningham among others and still pushed the Aces to brink before an exhausted Kelsey Mitchell fell to the floor and had to be helped off the court in Game 5. Las Vegas went on to win that decisive game in overtime and wound up winning the title.

This year's matchups have been equally intriguing.

Indiana has shown it can speed up the Aces, causing confusion and miscues. The Fever used that philosophy to post 16-point and 34-point wins at Las Vegas. They also built a 20-point lead in Indianapolis before the Aces rallied to win 86-84 in overtime in August.

This series has been more of the same. Wilson dominated the middle in Game 1 as Las Vegas showed its championship pedigree with a 102-85 victory. Clark countered with a historic performance and perhaps her best all-around game as a pro, leading the Fever to a 99-89 season-saving victory Tuesday.

The game was marred by a fourth-quarter confrontation between Wilson and an Indiana fan. Wilson drew a technical foul for leaving the court and the fan was escorted out before he returned when security determined he had not violated the fan code of conduct policy.

It caused a huge postgame stir but with the series shifting back to Vegas, the players' focus will return to basketball and what they must do to reach the best-of-five WNBA semifinals.

“I thought we adjusted well on defense, and we're going to have make more adjustments because they're going to go back and watch the film and try to exploit what we did,” Clark said. “But overall, I thought we played a lot harder (than Game 1) and we're going to need to take it up another level (in Game 3).”

Clark and Hammon each logged complaints about the officiating in Game 2 in what amounted to an early lobbying effort for Game 3.

Hammon thought the refs allowed too much contact in Game 2.

“I thought where they got very stifling (defensively) was our point of attack — a lot of grabbing, hand-checking,” Hammon said. “I understand it's the playoffs, but it shouldn't turn into the NFL, either. I think the refs have a (tough job), I wouldn't want to be one.”

Clark was more upset with the inconsistency of the calls. She fouled out with 2:45 to play and also was called for a technical in the first half, one she said she deserved.

“You call an offensive foul on me and then I'm getting hit the same way on the defensive end, and it's a foul on me,” she said. “Like it doesn't make sense. They just have to be better. It's the playoffs, like either call it all the time or don't, but be consistent.”

All season White has stressed the need for Indiana to play better defense and they showed what they're capable of in Game 2.

On Tuesday night, it was Hammon who called her team's defensive performance poor.

“We know when we're a good defensive team, we become elite offensively, and I didn't think we were a good defensive team (Tuesday) in any area — not in posting, not in guard play. I thought defensively we were not good tonight,” Hammon said. “I just felt like we weren't ourselves (Tuesday). I suspect we'll look more like ourselves Thursday.”

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