Fever demolish Aces in best performance of 2026: Likes and Dislikes

LAS VEGAS – Hello again from Michelob Ultra Arena, where the Fever were battling the Aces on Sunday night. It was the first game in this venue for the Fever since their overtime defeat in Game 5 of last year's playoff semifinals.

Caitlin Clark was back in the lineup after being out on Thursday, a boost for the Fever. They beat the Aces last weekend, but neither Clark nor A'ja Wilson played that night.

They were both back this time around. Likes and Dislikes from Fever vs Aces.

Circle City Spin

The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, up close

Circle City SpinTony East

LIKE: Fever's early defense

It took almost three minutes for the Aces to score a single point. The Fever were staying with ball handlers, rotating under the basket, and contesting jumpers well to open the game.

Granted, Indiana's offense wasn't so spectacular. After early baskets from Clark and Aliyah Boston, the Fever went cold themselves. But even with their own struggles, they were still ahead after about 3.5 minutes of action. Their defense was why.

LIKE: Sophie Cunningham giving energy

Sophie Cunningham, after her side quest as a ring girl last night, checked in and gave the Fever a lift right away.

She entered with the Fever holding a 10-8 lead with 4:59 on the clock in the first quarter. Vegas tied the game soon after. 90 seconds later, though, Cunningham stole the show.

She hit a three to put the Fever up six, then a mid-range shot to extend that lead further. Her defense was great. After Indiana's early lead evaporated, Cunningham helped the Fever get it right back, and they held it the rest of the first quarter.

After 10 minutes: Fever 31, Aces 22.

LIKE: Aliyah Boston, dominating

Boston checked in to start the second quarter and scored twice in quick succession – once after an offensive rebound. Her defense, rebounding, and scoring were all top-notch in the first 12 minutes of this game.

With 8:07 to play in the second quarter, Boston had nine points, three rebounds, and two assists. The Fever were +13 in her minutes while holding an 11-point lead on the scoreboard – it was clear how much Boston was impacting the game.

Boston vs Wilson is always a must-watch matchup. Boston was handling it incredibly well early. And that didn't really stop. Halfway through the second period, Boston was up to 13 points and involved in almost every action for the Fever. Her and Clark were in sync.

DISLIKE: Reviews

Yay, stoppages. Clark fouled Chelsea Gray but took a hit in the process, and she wasn't happy with the ruling. The officials looked at the play but the call was upheld. Clark subbed out immediately after as her second-quarter stint ended.

68 seconds later, Boston was whistled for an elbow to the face of NaLyssa Smith. That, too, was reviewed with an unchanged call. Suddenly, this game was more physical and way slower – a less-than-ideal combination for the Fever.

LIKE: Kelsey Mitchell, as she does

Blink and you'll miss a Kelsey Mitchell run. She scored 11 points in the second quarter, and all of them came in the final 4:12 of the half.

Some free throws here. A triple there. She kept the Fever's guard play steady after Clark exited the game, then hit a big three after Boston subbed out just before halftime.

Mitchell had 20 points at halftime, yet somehow it was almost a quiet half. The Fever led 59-48 at halftime.

DISLIKE: Lackluster start to the second half

Las Vegas went on a 7-0 run to start the second half, and it took less than 90 seconds.

The first two points came after Jackie Young bobbled the ball, then recovered it in traffic and scored between defenders. Wilson scored after corralling her own miss soon after. Those two effort plays hurt the Fever, and then Young hit another three.

That all forced a timeout from head coach Stephanie White with her team's lead down to four.

DISLIKE: Rebounding

Even as the Fever improved in some areas out of the aforementioned timeout, their rebounding didn't see any signs of life.

Wilson pulled in two offensive rebounds. Smith had another, as did Stephanie Talbot. With 5:45 to go in the third quarter, the Fever had two total rebounds in the period. The Aces had four offensive rebounds alone.

The possession war is so important in the WNBA. The Fever were losing it in the second half, and their lead was slipping away.

LIKE: Bouncing back, thanks to Sophie Cunningham

The Aces were down four with just about half of the third quarter left. They had all the momentum, were dominating the glass, and forced the Fever to call two timeouts.

Then, a great response from the Fever. Their defense was great for the next few minutes, and they improved their focus on the boards. Mitchell kept scoring. Ty Harris raced ahead for a pullup jumper in transition.

Suddenly, the Fever were up nine again and forced an Aces timeout. That stoppage did little as Cunningham entered right after and hit a pair of threes to grow Indiana's advantage. Another timeout from the Aces.

That break also didn't change much. It was 80-64 Fever after three quarters.

LIKE: Caitlin Clark finding a groove to start the fourth quarter

Clark entered the fourth quarter with eight points and three made shots. Then, she found a two-possession groove to give her team a big lift.

On the first possession, she cut off of Boston to get an open lane to the rim. She finished an easy layup. On the next trip, she stepped into a mid-range shot that's tough for many, but not Clark. She drilled it.

After that stretch, the Fever lead was more than 20. They were rolling. Clark exited the game about halfway through the fourth quarter after reaching her minutes limit and the team up 25. Her final stat line: 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

LIKE: A statement win

The Aces were on a back-to-back, which makes things more challenging (don't tell the Fever that – they won on Thursday despite travelling for a back-to-back). But they had Wilson and were largely healthy at home.

And the Fever smoked them. It was close for a moment in the third quarter, but outside of that it was mostly a comfortable night for the visiting group.

All of Clark, Mitchell, and Boston were excellent. Cunningham couldn't miss. Others made key plays at key times. That was the vision for this team more often this season.

They dominated the Aces to finish their road trip 3-1. The Fever are now 14-9 and headed back home. Final score: Fever 109, Aces 75.

Thank you for reading. This has been a productive trip to Las Vegas, and one full of stories. I hope you've enjoyed them. A few more to come, sign up and they will be emailed right to your inbox.