Indiana Fever Playoff Schedule: First Round vs Las Vegas Aces
The Indiana Fever (28-16) begin their quest for a championship in the opening round of the WNBA playoffs against the No. 3 seed and defending champion, Las Vegas Aces.
Overall, things have improved in every aspect for the Fever this season. Their final game of the regular season against the Minnesota Lynx, however, was one to forget. The Fever trailed by as many as 34 points and suffered injuries to both guard Ty Harris and center Aliyah Boston during the contest, though Boston's exit was described as precautionary. Having their worst game of the season going right into the playoffs wasn't what the Fever had in mind, but they're no strangers to adversity.
Given the high level of competition that awaits them, they'll need to quickly get back on track if they hope to make yet another deep run in the postseason.
Not clinching home-court advantage during the first-round best-of-three series may not be a significant problem for Indiana, who has arguably the most faithful fanbase when it comes to traveling to away arenas.
Here's the entire schedule for the Fever's first round versus the Aces:
First round, best-of-three series
Date/Time (ET) | Location |
|---|---|
Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 27, 4 pm (ABC) | Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV |
Game 2: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6:30 pm (Prime) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN |
Game 3 *if necessary: Thursday, Oct. 1, TBD | Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV |
Indiana Fever vs. Las Vegas Aces Preview
The Fever have fared well during their head-to-head matchups with the Aces this season winning the series 2-1, creating a positive vibe amongst fans heading into the playoff series. In fact, some would say a meeting with the Aces was best-case scenario for Indiana for the first round given that they match up well against them.
The Aces' one win against Indiana had to come in overtime. An interesting note to keep in mind throughout this series is that each road team won during their three-game regular-season series. This should provide fans with some relief given the Fever will not get two games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Previous matchups:
July 5: Fever 84, Aces 68 (without Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson)
July 12: Fever 109, Aces 75
August 6: Aces 86, Fever 84 (OT)
The Fever's Achilles' heel all season has been their defense, and after two poor performances over their last three games to close out the regular season, they will need to fix things before facing an Aces team that's loaded with their own offensive firepower.
Indiana has gotten the best of Las Vegas this season, but A'ja Wilson and company bring veteran, championship-caliber experience that's brought them much success throughout the playoffs. Drawing the Aces in the first round will still very much be a tall task, but there's no doubt the Fever want to put last year's playoff exit at the hands of the Aces in the rearview mirror.
Given Las Vegas does not have a ton of size to punish them inside, the wing depth to exploit their perimeter defense, nor the foot speed to keep up with Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell—they certainly have at least a puncher's chance to do so.
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Lindsay Burke covers women’s basketball for Indiana Fever On SI and Women’s Fastbreak On SI. She graduated from Purdue University Fort Wayne with a Bachelor's Degree in journalism and a minor in media production. Early in her career she covered ECHL hockey, the NFL and college football and has since expanded her expertise to the WNBA and the Fever franchise.
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