The WNBA playoff series between the Las Vegas Aces and the Indiana Fever was the most-watched semifinal round in league history with an average of 1.56 million viewers, per Nekias Duncan of Yahoo Sports.
That matchup featured an instant classic in the winner-take-all Game 5, a 107-98 overtime victory for the Aces. Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson posted 35 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks in that game. For the series, she averaged 24.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game in the series.
Both teams featured great stories.
The Aces got off to a sluggish 14-14 start before rolling off 16 straight wins to earn the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs. Wilson, who won her fourth MVP award in six seasons, served as the catalyst for that effort. However, other Aces players also turned in exceptional performances, including Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray.
Las Vegas withstood a phenomenal upset effort from the Seattle Storm in the first round in a series that literally went down to the final possession. The Aces lived on the edge in the semifinals but ultimately moved onto the Finals.
Indiana’s resolve and perseverance was remarkable all season and series. The Fever weathered a massive storm with the team dealing with a host of injuries, including to superstar and reigning All-WNBA First Teamer Caitlin Clark, who played just 13 games. Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and Chloe Bibby also suffered season-ending injuries.
And then Indiana suffered another massive scare when leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell was forced to leave Game 5 after 23 minutes due to rhabdomyolysis.
Mitchell, who scored 15 points in her 23 minutes, had 20.2 PPG during the season.
The Aces now move on to play Phoenix in search of their third WNBA title in four seasons. Phoenix is a three-time WNBA champion.
Game 1 is set for Friday at 8 p.m. ET in Las Vegas.