Las Vegas Aces On SI

Las Vegas Aces Win a Thriller vs Seattle Storm, Advance to 2nd Round of WNBA Playoffs

Jackie Young hit a big shot late in the game, ultimately sealing the 1st round series victory. The Las Vegas Aces now move on to face the Indiana Fever.
Thomas Carelli|
Sep 18, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) reacts to a play in the second quarter against the Seattle Storm during game three of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Sep 18, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) reacts to a play in the second quarter against the Seattle Storm during game three of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

This game tonight was perhaps the most thrilling game of the WNBA season. The two teams went back on forth down the stretch. A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike all contributed to the thriller in Las Vegas. A big win by the Aces now puts them in front of the Indiana Fever where the winner will compete for the WNBA championship. Don't you just love the playoffs?

Aces Defeat the Storm 74-73

These two teams left it all out on the court, but the Aces ultimately prevailed. Late in the game, the Aces found themselves leading the game 66-61, draining the clock to escape with victory. With 2:20 left, Ogwumike sunk a massive three-pointer, cutting the lead to two. This is where Jackie Young made a huge mistake, turning over the inbounds pass. Erica Wheeler stole the ball, got fouled, and tied the game at 66.

This began a back and forth for the final two minutes. With 19 seconds to go, Wheeler clutched up with a running two pointer to go up 73-72. The Aces called a timeout, regrouped, and A'ja Wilson took to a mid-range jumper, only to be grabbed off the rim and put back by Young. From there, the defense remained stout and as Wheeler missed the shot, the Aces got the ball out and the clock hit zeros.

We always knew that this game would be a thriller with a ton of passion. That it did become. A'ja Wilson put up 38 points and now the Aces are 13-1 since July when she hits 30+ on the scoreboard.

Jackie Young may have scored just 14 Points, but her huge game-winner made up for her bad turnover. Chelsea Gray also had 12 Points and 8 Rebounds, rounding out this trio of Aces stars.

2nd Round vs Indiana Fever

The Aces now meet the 6 seed, Indiana Fever in Round 2 as they upset the Atlanta Dream. Without Caitlin Clark, the team is unlikely to win, but anything is possible. The Fever were 8/1 underdogs to win the series after their Game 1 loss. They are the same odds to win the Aces-Fever series.

The Aces now get to rest as the series will kick off this Sunday at 3pm in Las Vegas. The Aces opened up as 9.5 point favorites.

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Thomas Carelli
THOMAS CARELLI

Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.

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