Las Vegas Aces survive Indiana Fever in Game 3 thriller to reach WNBA semifinals

The Las Vegas Aces beat the Indiana Fever 94-83 on Thursday night, October 2, 2026, at the Michelob Ultra Arena, closing out their WNBA first-round series 2-1 after losing the first two games. The win sends the defending champions to the semifinals, ending Indiana's season.

The teams traded blows in an even opening quarter, both sides scoring 31 points. Las Vegas pulled away in the second period, outscoring the Fever 23-17 to take control heading into the half. Indiana clawed back with a 17-16 edge in the third quarter, but the Aces answered with a 24-18 fourth-quarter push that closed the door for good. Las Vegas shot 29-of-64 from the field and 28-of-35 at the free-throw line, while Indiana finished just 30-of-78 overall and 9-of-32 from 3-points despite out-rebounding the Aces 38-34.

Wilson leads the comeback, but it wasn't a career high

A'ja Wilson was the engine of the win, finishing with 36 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and an assist on 11-of-18 shooting, adding 2-of-3 from deep and 12-of-15 at the line in 37 minutes and 6 seconds on the floor. It was a dominant performance, though not a personal playoff best for Wilson — she had already scored 38 points in a playoff game on two separate occasions in her career, including once already in this very series against Indiana.

Chelsea Gray backed her up with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and five assists, while Jackie Young nearly posted a triple-double in everything but the box score header, going for 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists on 5-of-13 shooting with a pair of made 3-points. Jewell Loyd added 11 points off 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. For Indiana, Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 23 points but needed 23 shot attempts to get there, connecting on just 7 of 23. Aliyah Boston recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Caitlin Clark finished with 18 points, four assists and four blocks, though she shot just 6-of-18 from the field and 3-of-12 from 3-points. Myisha Hines-Allen grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds off the bench.

The turning point came in that second quarter, when the Aces turned a tied game into real separation, building a cushion that held up even as Indiana trimmed the deficit in the third quarter — the margin never got thin enough for the Fever to threaten a lead. Las Vegas protected that advantage down the stretch, holding Indiana to 18 points in the fourth quarter.

A season-ending loss for Indiana, a repeat bid for Las Vegas

Kelsey Mitchell had set the tone for this series with a playoff-career-high 34 points in Indiana's 89-73 Game 1 win, according to ESPN, and the Fever followed that up with a 99-89 victory in Game 2 behind Clark's 27 points, 15 assists and 7 rebounds. That left Indiana one win from a stunning upset of the No. 3-seeded Aces, but the sixth-seeded Fever could not close it out in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas now moves on to the semifinals, best-of-five series under the 2026 playoff format, as it chases a repeat title behind Wilson, having erased an 0-2 series deficit. According to Yahoo Sports, the Aces "ended the Indiana Fever's season" with the Game 3 win, and Las Vegas will next face the winner of the Golden State Valkyries-Dallas Wings series on the other side of the bracket. Indiana's season ends in the first round, with the Fever now looking toward the offseason to build on a series that pushed the defending champions to the brink.