LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 35 factors and Jackie Younger had 32 to steer the Aces again to the WNBA Finals as Las Vegas held off pesky Indiana 107-98 in extra time within the deciding Sport 5 of the semifinal sequence on Tuesday evening after the already-depleted Fever misplaced one other star participant to harm.
The second-seeded Aces, who received the league title in 2022 and 2023, will host the fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury on Friday within the opener of the best-of-seven championship sequence.
No. 6 seed Indiana made Las Vegas work for it despite the fact that the sixth-seeded Fever have been decimated by accidents, with star Kelsey Mitchell taking place within the third quarter of Sport 5 with an obvious left leg harm. She joined an inventory of injured Fever gamers that features Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham.
Mitchell had scored a team-high 15 factors on the time of her harm. Six Fever gamers reached double digits, together with Odyssey Sims with 27 factors and Natasha Howard with 16.
The Aces have been nearer of a three-woman present, with Wilson coming inside three factors of her playoff profession excessive. Chelsea Grey — who briefly went into the locker room early within the third quarter with an obvious proper leg harm — scored 17.
Las Vegas wanted each a type of factors as a result of the Fever challenged the Aces all through, together with after Mitchell received damage. Quite than fade away and concede the playoff sequence to the house workforce, the Fever battled to tie the sport at 84 on two Sims free throws with 52 seconds left.
After Younger made two free throws with 27.1 seconds remaining, Sims answered with a drive down the lane for a layup with 22.5 seconds to go to once more tie the sport. Younger missed a layup within the closing seconds and Jewell Loyd the observe to ship the sport to extra time.
The Aces then took the lead early in OT and didn’t give it up.
