Fever vs. Aces Game 3: Clark, Boston probable in epic finale
The Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces meet in a winner-take-all Fever vs. Aces Game 3 on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. ET at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, with a trip to the WNBA semifinals on the line. The first-round series is tied 1-1.
Indiana listed Caitlin Clark (back) and Aliyah Boston (right lower leg) as probable, according to the team’s injury report, as cited by Yardbarker. Both are expected to play after powering the Fever’s Game 2 win, but both carry injuries into the deciding game.
Fever vs. Aces Game 3 information
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 1
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Venue: Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas
- TV: USA Network, CNBC
- Series: First round, Game 3, tied 1-1
Are Clark and Boston healthy enough?
Clark is coming off one of the best playoff games of her career. She finished Game 2 with 27 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds, and she became the first player in WNBA history with a points-assists double-double in the first half of a playoff game (14 points, 11 assists), according to WNBA.com. She also fouled out with 2:45 left, and Indiana closed out the 99-89 win without her.
Boston played through a lower leg injury in Game 1 and still posted 18 points and eight rebounds, according to CBS Sports. She followed that with 22 points on 15 shots in Game 2, per Yahoo Sports.
Indiana’s probable starters are Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Makayla Timpson and Boston, according to the Fever’s game preview.
Can the Aces’ starters carry the load again?
Las Vegas is expected to start Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Stephanie Talbot, A’ja Wilson and Brianna Turner, per the Fever’s preview. The Aces, the No. 3 seed and defending champions, leaned heavily on that core in the first two games.
Indiana won the battle inside in Game 2, outscoring Las Vegas 30-16 in the paint in the first half, according to Yahoo Sports. Wilson finished with 22 points and nine rebounds but did not attempt a field goal in the third quarter.
What Games 1 and 2 say about Fever vs. Aces Game 3
The Aces controlled Game 1, winning 102-85 behind Wilson’s 38 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks on 15-of-19 shooting, according to CBS Sports. Earlier that day, she was named the AP WNBA Player of the Year for the third straight season. Young added 21 points and 10 assists.
Indiana answered in Game 2. Mitchell scored 26 points, and Young led Las Vegas with 31, according to WNBA.com. Wilson also passed Rebekkah Brunson for fourth on the league’s career playoff scoring list.
Key matchup: Wilson and Young vs. Indiana’s interior defense
The series has swung on the paint, and Fever vs. Aces Game 3 likely will too. If Boston is limited by her leg, Indiana’s interior defense will be tested by a Wilson who scored at will in Game 1. Young’s 31-point game showed the Aces can still win when Wilson is contained, so how the Fever split their attention between the two will likely decide whether their Game 2 formula holds up on the road.
What to watch in Fever vs. Aces Game 3
A loss in Fever vs. Aces Game 3 ends Indiana’s season. A loss for Las Vegas would be the Aces’ first first-round exit under coach Becky Hammon, who led them to titles in 2022, 2023 and 2025.
Emotions could also run high. Late in Game 2, Wilson had a confrontation with a fan and was given a technical foul for stepping off the court. The fan was escorted out and later allowed to return after the Fever found no conduct-policy violation, according to WNBA.com. “I’ve never seen her really react like that ever, so whatever it was, it doesn’t have any place in an arena,” Hammon said.
Gray is another storyline after she passed Courtney Vandersloot for second on the WNBA’s career playoff assists list in Game 1, per CBS Sports. The Fever vs. Aces Game 3 winner advances to the semifinals. For more, read about the WNBA’s record regular-season viewership and follow our WNBA coverage.
Reporting from Indiana Fever, WNBA.com, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports and Yardbarker contributed to this story.