The sweat dripped down from Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson’s face as she walked off the court at Michelob Ultra Arena, but this time it was the good kind of sweat. The kind that comes from leaving everything on the hardwood. After getting thoroughly embarrassed in Game 1, the Las Vegas Aces had just delivered a statement performance that left no doubt about their championship DNA.

Tuesday night’s 90-68 demolition of the Indiana Fever wasn’t just a win—it was a declaration. The defending champions had awakened from their Game 1 nightmare, and Indiana felt every ounce of their fury.

The Aces’ Redemption Story Unfolds

Wilson, still stinging from what she called a more embarrassing loss than their 53-point beatdown by Minnesota earlier this season, came out like a woman possessed. Her 25 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks were the numbers of a player who refused to let her team go down 2-0 in their own building.

“I just think we came to work,” Wilson said, her voice carrying the weight of someone who had tasted failure and spit it out. “We didn’t come to work in Game 1, and that’s on all of us. And I think Game 2, we just decided to come to work.”

The MVP’s performance was poetry in motion, but she wasn’t alone. NaLyssa Smith chipped in 18 points and 7 rebounds, while five different Aces players reached double figures. This was basketball as a team sport, the way champions play when their backs are against the wall.

Becky Hammon’s “Feisty” Challenge Pays Off

Before the game, Aces coach Becky Hammon had delivered a message that would make any old-school coach proud. She wanted her team to get “a little feisty.” Her words echoed through the arena: “If there’s one thing that the playoffs are, it’s rough. You can’t tiptoe into a bar fight.”

The message landed like a sledgehammer. From the opening tip, the Las Vegas Aces played with an edge that had been missing in Game 1. They led by as many as 18 points in the first half, and when Indiana tried to claw back—cutting the deficit to six in the second quarter and eight in the third—the Aces responded like champions do.

A devastating 17-3 run at the end of the third quarter stretched their lead to 20 points and sucked the life out of any Fever comeback hopes. It was basketball at its most ruthless, and the Aces were the executioners.

The Physical Chess Match Intensifies

The series has become a gladiator’s arena, with 41 fouls called in Game 2 alone and both coaches voicing concerns about the officiating. Hammon didn’t mince words about the physicality, comparing it unfavorably to NFL rules.

“You can bump and grab a wide receiver in the NFL for those first five yards, but you can do it in the W for the whole half court,” Hammon said, her frustration evident. “Most of my assistants come from the NBA, and they’re like, ‘This would not fly in the NBA. There’d be fights.'”

On the other side, Fever coach Stephanie White found herself battling a different demon—the constant interruption of flow that comes with whistle-heavy officiating.

“It’s hard for us to find flow when there’s a foul called every 10 seconds,” White said. “When they’re at the free throw line, we can’t get up and down the floor, and that’s a challenge.”

Indiana’s Struggles Mount

For the Fever, Game 2 was a harsh reality check. Their leading scorer, Kelsey Mitchell, was held to just 13 points, well below her usual output. The team shot 41% from the field and coughed up 22 turnovers—numbers that spell doom against a championship-caliber team like the Las Vegas Aces.

Lexie Hull provided a bright spot with 15 points and five three-pointers, but it wasn’t nearly enough to match the Las Vegas Aces balanced attack and defensive intensity.