Three takeaways from the Aces’ thrilling 89-81 victory

LAS VEGAS—The Las Vegas Aces may have just saved their season when it mattered most.

On Sunday, the Aces pulled out a stunning 89-81 comeback victory against the Indiana Fever at T-Mobile Arena. Down six after the first half, the Aces were able to close the gap and pull out the win, closing the game out with a 31-20 fourth quarter.

The victory ends a three-game skid for the Aces and puts them to 6-7 on the season, while the Fever drop to 6-7.

Here are three major takeaways for the Aces after their biggest win of the season.

Tale of two A’jas

Despite a strong outing Friday against the Seattle Storm in her first game back from a head injury, A’ja Wilson had to wait to get going against the Fever.

Wilson’s first half was a bit of a struggle, putting up six  points, but hitting just two of her 13 shots. She would experience a much more productive second half, however, adding 18 more points to finish with a team-high 24. It was promising to see the three-time MVP shake off the early adversity, and her tenacity played a pivotal role in the Aces securing the victory.

Clark goes unconventional

Mostly known for her shooting, Clark was forced to find other ways to impact this game.

With most of the Aces’ defensive effort focused on her, Clark did most of her damage as a facilitator. Despite being held to zero points in the first quarter, she put up six assists in that same quarter to help the Fever. The current-reigning Rookie of the Year finished the afternoon with a game-high ten assists.

It was not a perfect day for Clark handling the ball, however, as the Aces did force her to commit a game-high eight turnovers and held her to seven shots made on 20 attempts (one of ten on threes).

Comeback by committee

Despite early struggles on offense, the Aces got to their game in the second half and responded.

Along with Wilson’s contributions, the Aces had five double-digit scorers compared to the Fever’s three. Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray put up 19 and 18 points, respectively, guard Jewell Loyd added an additional ten, and guard Aaliyah Nye proved to be a spark plug off the bench with 11. The Fever had strong performances of their own, primarily from center Aliyah Boston (game-high 26 points) and guard Kelsey Mitchell (20 points), but it was not enough to stifle the Aces’ comeback and overcome their opponent’s depth.