Hot-shooting Indiana Fever blow past class of WNBA to end winning road trip

LAS VEGAS — The Indiana Fever demolished the Las Vegas Aces 109-75 to finish up a four-game road trip on Sunday night.

The Fever (14-9) had six players in double figures, including 27 for Kelsey Mitchell, 20 for Sophie Cunningham on 6-of-7 3-point shooting and 19 for Aliyah Boston. Caitlin Clark, who played 25 minutes on her minutes restriction, had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Fever shot 55.9% from the field and were 15 for 31 on 3-pointers and 18 for 19 on free throws.

Here's what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.

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What I liked in the Indiana Fever's win vs Las Vegas Aces

• Early defense on A'ja Wilson: The four-time MVP was not active the first time the Fever and Aces played July 5, but she returned from her leg injury with a vengeance, scoring 32 points in her return against Portland on July 9 and 21 points (with 15 rebounds) against Phoenix on July 11. On Sunday, the Fever managed to make her uncomfortable early. She shot just 2 of 6 from the field in the first quarter for four points, and did not manage to draw any fouls. Wilson also struggled defensively at the hands of Boston, who scored 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half.
• Kelsey Mitchell, as usual: Mitchell, a nine-year veteran, has been the most consistent player on the Fever's roster this season, and that didn't stop Sunday. As is her style, she scored a quiet 20 points in the first half alone against the league-leading Aces, going 7 of 11 from the field and easily slicing through the Las Vegas defense.
• The end of the third: The Aces managed to cut their deficit to four points in the third, but it never got closer than that. And after a small breakdown at the beginning of the third, the Fever found their fire again to end that quarter on a 9-0 run, which included back-to-back 3-pointers from Cunningham. That lead ballooned to 20 points by the midway point of the fourth quarter.
• Caitlin Clark finding rhythm: Clark's minutes restriction was upped to 25 minutes, and she made the most of them. She looked much more comfortable playing in longer spurts, as she was able to get a feel for the game and direct the offense. She finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds, and six assists.

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What I disliked in the Indiana Fever's win vs Las Vegas Aces

• The beginning of the third: Stephanie White only needed to see about a minute and a half of game time before she called a timeout in the third quarter. Jackie Young had just sank a wide-open 3-pointer, capping off a 7-0 run for the Aces and cutting Las Vegas' deficit to four. In the possession before that, Wilson managed to get three rebounds, including one after a block from Boston, for a putback layup, and Young started the quarter with an easy layup. It was not a pretty sight for the Fever to start the third.
• Raven Johnson, Myisha Hines-Allen limited minutes: This is more confusion than anything of why Raven Johnson only played in garbage time and Myisha Hines-Allen did not play. Both are usually vital parts of the rotation and dressed for the game, but Johnson was the only one to check in with 2:35 left and the Fever up 26 points. Both had appeared in all 22 games this season prior to Sunday night, with Hines-Allen averaging 15.4 minutes and 4.2 points per game and Johnson averaging 14.7 minutes and 4.3 points per game.

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What the Indiana Fever's win vs Las Vegas Aces means

When the Fever can fire on all cylinders like they did Sunday night, they can be contenders. They limited A'ja Wilson both offensively and defensively, shot lights out from 3-point range, and built up enough of a lead that they were able to rest their starters at the end of the game. If Indiana can continue this type of play, they can definitely beat anyone. But they'll just need to be consistent

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Hot-shooting Indiana Fever blow past class of WNBA to end winning road trip