WNBA playoff takeaways: A'ja Wilson's clutch performance leads Aces past Caitlin Clark, Fever in Game 3 win

It is the fifth playoff game that Wilson has scored at least 35 points, which is tied for the most in league history. Additionally, she passed Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings for the second-most playoff double-doubles (28).

Wilson finished with 36 points (11-of-18 FG, 12-of-15 FT) and 10 rebounds to lead all scorers, officially reaching the 30-point mark on this drive to the basket early in the fourth quarter.

Wilson and this Aces team faced some adversity in Game 2 as the Fever answered the call to force the Game 3. For Wilson, specifically, she even made headlines for her heated exchange with a fan courtside, though she received no fine or penalty for the altercation.

There is a reason Wilson is a four-time MVP and the Aces have won three of the last four titles. Thursday's win in a pressure-packed situation proved that and showed that Las Vegas is not going to be an easy out this season, either.

Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell struggle to find a rhythm

The Fever are at their best when their top-two scorers are performing at a high level on the court. While both of them combined for 41 points, Clark and Mitchell shot a combined 13-of-41 from the floor and 6-of-23 from beyond the arc. 

It was not all bad for Clark, who tied a career-high in a game with four blocks and made sure to make an impact in one way or another.

That said, she put her team on her back in Game 2 and played at the level many expect from her. With Indiana's season on the line and a team that is all too familiar with success on the other side, her and Mitchell were relatively held in check at the worst possible time.

Bizarre officiating impacts Fever early on

The Fever simply got outplayed in this game when it mattered most and one sequence in the game should not entirely overshadow the end result, but officials sure did their best to do so in the second quarter.

After Brianna Turner dangerously locked arms with Lexie Hull and aggressively dragged the Fever guard to the floor, officials shockingly called the foul on Indiana. Even worse, they refused to even let the Fever challenge afterward.

The foul call on the Fever was one thing, but the fact that they could not even challenge the call speaks to the state of officiating in the league right now. The Aces were deserving winners and likely would have handled business regardless of the foul call, but this was a tie game that quickly took a backseat to the persistent officiating problem the league continues to encounter.

This felt like a WNBA Finals matchup

From the intensity and the raucous environment to the physical play on the court, the Fever and Aces delivered what felt like a Finals game in the first round.

Not only did the series go the distance, but it featured numerous star players in the league and had everything you could ask for in a high-stakes game.

While the Aces await the winner of Friday night's Game 3 between the Golden State Valkyries and Dallas Wings, and the Atlanta Dream prepare to face the New York Liberty in the other semifinal, it will take a lot to surpass the entertaining series the Fever and Aces put on.