It all comes down to this for a trip to the WNBA Finals. The No. 6 seed Indiana Fever have pushed the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces to a decisive Game 5 in these semifinals, and the winner will advance to face the No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 on Friday.
Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson has starred as usual for the Aces, leading an impressive turnaround that saw Las Vegas go from outside the playoff picture to rattling off 16 straight wins to end the regular season. Not to be outdone, the Fever, who have been excellent in elimination games, have shocked the league with their performance in these playoffs, all without injured players Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, Sophie Cunningham and more.
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The Aces are aiming to return to the Finals after a one-year absence; they won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. The Fever, meanwhile, last appeared in the Finals in 2015, during current coach Stephanie White’s first stint with the team. They lost that series to the Minnesota Lynx. The franchise’s lone championship came in 2012, when the team was led by Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.
Tuesday’s Game 5 also follows a monumental day for the league, after Lynx star Napheesa Collier called out commissioner Cathy Engelbert amid the ongoing CBA negotiations. Players swiftly came out in support of Collier’s comments, as officiating and physicality have been at the forefront of these playoffs.
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How to watch Fever vs. Aces in Game 5
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 30
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Location: Michelob Ultra Arena | Las Vegas
Channel: ESPN2
Follow along below for live updates, highlights and more from the decisive Game 5: