The Las Vegas Aces sent the Indiana Fever packing Thursday night, as the defending WNBA champions beat back Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark to come out with a 94-83 win. The Aces will face the winner of the Golden State Valkyries-Dallas Wings match in the semifinals.
While the Aces handed the Fever plenty of lessons in terms of on-court play, they also offered a look into something arguably just as important: how fluidly a team can play when core members of the roster have been together for several years.
The Fever boasts a big three in Mitchell, Boston, and Clark. All three are important to the franchise. Mitchell, who was drafted as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018, has played her entire career with the Indiana Fever. She's a player that fans look to for guidance and to know what to expect; her impact on the team has been enormous this season. Boston was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, and Clark joined the team in 2024.
Boston and Clark spent their first season together developing a rhythm that was enviable; Clark and Mitchell put on a shooting masterclass this season and dominated headlines and the court. The trio is powerful, but still inexperienced. Clark missed most of the 2025 season due to injuries, and this year was the first in which all three were healthy and able to play.
The Aces all have a big three, albeit a much more powerful one: A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray have played together for several seasons. The trio can nearly read one another's minds, something that's easy to see in their seamless passing and dominating play. The Aces' front office has made it a priority to make sure all three are happy in Las Vegas, and the trio has responded by giving the franchise something to be proud of over and over again.
There's a lesson in there for the Fever, especially as the team's front office begins planning the coming years. Boston, who signed a landmark four-year, $6.3 million contract with the Fever ahead of the 2026 season, is locked in. Clark's rookie deal is good through next season. Mitchell signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the team this season — and it's not clear what she will do next. The team has made it clear that Mitchell is a crucial part of its vision, and, hopefully, that's something they continue to do.
The Fever can make it the championships, sometime, and investing in the team across the board is one of the fastest ways they'll get there.
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