3 things Aces must do comeback after Game 1 humiliation

The Las Vegas Aces suffered a humiliating 89-73 Game 1 loss in front of their rabid home fans on Sunday to the Indiana Fever. A’ja Wilson, the newly-crowned back-to-back MVP, scored 16 points on 6-for-22 shooting. Wilson and Co. lost to a team many predicted would not even win one game against the Atlanta Dream in the first round.

Becky Hammon told reporters before Game 1 that the Fever had not “faced the real Aces.” The coach referred to her team’s 16-game winning run to close the regular season without an encounter with their semifinal opponents. Indiana proved that, at least in the series opener, it remained unfazed despite the tall odds stacked against it.

Despite the loss, the Aces remain definitive favorites. They are the healthier and more experienced group following a seventh straight semifinal berth. To even the series, Hammon could tweak her team’s strategy and approach.

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3 adjustments the Aces could make to even series against Indiana Fever

#3. Attack the paint more

Heading into Game 1, I indicated how 3-point shooting could swing the series. Las Vegas shot 40.0% from deep in the first round while Indiana limited its opponent to 28.1% efficiency. On Sunday, the Fever continued that trend, limiting their sharpshooting opponents to 29.4%.

The Indiana Fever refused to let the Aces get rhythm from behind the arc and aggressively ran off shooters off the 3-point line. Instead of attacking the paint, Hammon’s group settled for mid-range jumpers or passed the ball from side to side.

Attacking the paint more would give Hammon’s offense another option to compromise Indiana’s defense, the second-best in the playoffs. By going to the basket, Las Vegas could create more opportunities for its shooters from kickouts.

With A’ja Wilson handcuffed and her teammates shooting blanks from deep, the favorites stuttered throughout the game.

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#2. Las Vegas must match Indiana’s hustle and energy

In a campaign that resulted in five season-ending injuries to key players, the Indiana Fever have become a resilient and gritty group. Regardless of the arena, they make defense, energy and hustle their calling card.

In Game 1, the Fever seemingly won every 50/50 ball and outhustled the Aces for most of the marquee showdown. Lexie Hull, Odyssey Sims and even Kelsey Mitchell were always ready to help their frontline battle A’ja Wilson in the paint.

Once Wilson kicked the ball out to the perimeter, Fever guards hardly missed a beat. They refused to let shooters hoist shots without contesting. Las Vegas has to at least match its injury-riddled opponents in hustle and energy to even the series.

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#1. Give Kelsey Mitchell the Caitlin Clark treatment

A’ja Wilson deservedly won the closely contested MVP award, her second straight and a WNBA record fourth in her career. Kelsey Mitchell, one of the five finalists, also had a strong argument for the recognition, considering how she has carried the Fever.

In Game 1, Mitchell showed why she belongs in the conversation as one of the best in the league. She erupted for a game-high 34 points, three assists and two steals.

Mitchell is Indiana’s most explosive and deadliest scorer, making it doubly important for the Aces to clamp her down. Despite the attention on defense, the lefty guard still carved Las Vegas.

To slow her down, Hammon could ask Jackie Young to shadow the speedy Fever star from end to end. If they can give her the Caitlin Clark treatment, the Fever could stutter offensively. Young’s offense could suffer, but exchanging that for Mitchell’s production could make a series-changing difference for the Aces.

Edited by Michael Macasero