Kelsey Mitchell leads Fever to stunning Game 1 upset of Aces

Behind Kelsey Mitchell's playoff career-high 34 points, the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever spoiled the celebration for Most Valuable Player A'ja Wilson and the host Las Vegas Aces with an 89-73 Game 1 upset in their WNBA semifinal matchup on Sunday.

Wilson received her league record fourth MVP before tipoff on Sunday, but it was Indiana taking the spotlight virtually from the get-go in the opener of the best-of-five series.

The Fever swarmed on Wilson defensively, forcing her into 6-of-22 shooting from the floor for the game and an 0-for-6 start on her initial field-goal attempts.

Wilson finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but through a combination of Indiana defense and foul trouble, was stymied in the second half. She managed just four points and two boards after intermission.

Mitchell, meanwhile, was hot offensively. She shot 12-of-23 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. The last of her four triples on a stop-and-pop transition attempt snuffed out any hope of a rally for the second-seeded Aces.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Odyssey Sims complemented Mitchell's big scoring performance with 17 points of her own on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor. Veteran Natasha Howard, who contributed to the defensive effort on Wilson, posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Howard also added a pair of steals.

Aaliyah Boston grabbed another 11 rebounds for Indiana and dished five assists. All five Fever starters doled out at least two assists.

With Wilson struggling to get going offensively, Las Vegas stagnated as a whole. The Aces shot 29-of-71 from the floor (40.8%), and got only 25 points from scorers other than Wilson, Jackie Young (19 points) and Chelsea Gray (13).

Of those 25, 14 came from Dana Evans off the bench.

Former WNBA scoring champion Jewel Loyd finished with just three points, which came in the game's final minutes.

After rolling off 17 straight wins, Las Vegas has dropped two of its last three with Sunday's setback. The Game 1 loss marked Las Vegas' first defeat at home since Aug. 2.