Without Caitlin Clark, Fever rally to put away Aces

Kelsey Mitchell scored a game-high 21 points Thursday night and the Indiana Fever erased a 43-35 third quarter deficit to earn an 80-70 win over the visiting Las Vegas Aces.

Natasha Howard added 18 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana (13-12), which also got 13 points and 10 rebounds from Aliyah Boston. Sophie Cunningham contributed 15 points, and Aari McDonald sealed the outcome by drilling a 3-pointer with 34.2 seconds left for a 78-70 lead.

A'ja Wilson scored 20 points to lead Las Vegas (12-12) but hit just 7 of 17 shots from the field. Jackie Young added 19, while NaLyssa Smith chipped in with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Aces, though, made only 40.3 percent of their field goals and committed 14 turnovers.

The Fever connected on just 40.8 percent of their attempts from the floor but were able to sink 11 of 23 3-pointers, in stark contrast to Las Vegas' 2-of-15 performance from beyond the arc.

Mitchell found a cutting Boston in the lane for a layup and a 75-66 advantage at the 2:20 mark. After the Aces pulled within five points with under a minute remaining, McDonald nailed the clinching 3-pointer as the shot clock was running down.

The main storyline prior to tipoff concerned the continued absence of Indiana star Caitlin Clark (groin), who missed her third consecutive game. Clark was injured late in a July 15 win over Connecticut. Indiana lost twice to New York in her absence.

The Fever roared out to a 16-8 lead on Howard's floater at the 2:59 mark of the first quarter before Las Vegas gained traction. The Aces hit Indiana with a 20-2 burst, bridging the first and second periods, and grabbed a 26-18 advantage via Wilson's layup with 6:44 left in the half.

Las Vegas took a 41-35 cushion into the break and led by eight early in the third quarter before the Fever surged.

Mitchell drained a 3-pointer with 2:46 remaining that sparked an 8-0 run, giving Indiana a 62-56 lead going to the fourth period.