The Las Vegas Aces visited Caitlyn Clark and the Indiana Fever on Wednesday, looking to get back in the win column and spark a run at the tail end of the season. Las Vegas entered the matchup having already defeated the Fever twice in the season series, while Caitlyn Clark and her team were in the midst of a hot streak, going 8-2 since returning from the Olympic break. The Las Vegas Aces were the only team the Fever had yet to beat.

With just over four minutes left in the third quarter, things got chippy between Clark and Jackie Young. As Clark went up for a reverse layup, Young went for the rebound and brought her elbow up, hitting Clark in the face. Both players went down and appeared to be in serious pain. The referees reviewed the play for a possible flagrant foul but deemed that both Clark and Young’s actions were unintentional, resulting in no fouls being handed out. Both stars shook off the hit and stayed in the game.

Shortly afterward, Indiana’s Aaliyah Boston was tangled up with an Aces player on the defensive end and was called for her fifth foul of the night. Just before the referees gave the ball to the Aces for a free throw, Fever coach Christy Sides challenged the call, causing Aces coach Becky Hammond to go haywire. Hammond was immediately frustrated with the call; once the referees awarded Sides and the Indiana Fever the challenge, she threw her arms up in the air and voiced her complaints.

After approaching the officials, Hammond received her fifth technical foul of the season. The veteran head coach is now flirting with a suspension; if she picks up seven technical fouls in the season, she would face a one-game suspension without pay. The Aces have four games left in the WNBA season, with another matchup against the Indiana Fever on Friday.

Let’s take a look back at the standout moments from this thrilling Wednesday matchup. The game kicked off with the Indiana Fever in possession, and Caitlyn Clark got things rolling just ten seconds in. Kelsey Mitchell took control, driving to the hoop and laying it in for two. Not long after, Lexi Hall stepped up, sinking a confident three-pointer to show off her precision. Indiana wasn’t slowing down as Mitchell dished the ball to Aaliyah Boston, who smoothly added another two points.

Now up seven points, Indiana was making a statement, and the Las Vegas Aces needed to respond. A’ja Wilson answered the call, nailing back-to-back mid-range shots, showing no defender could contain her. But Clark struck back, driving hard to the basket for a layup and drawing a foul. She calmly sank the free throw, adding another point to the tally. Wilson retaliated with two free throws of her own, hitting both. Erica Wheeler then found her moment, sinking a clean jumper for two.

Tiffany Hayes got in on the action, hitting a three-pointer, but Wheeler fired back with a three of her own. Jackie Young followed up by driving inside and knocking down a jumper for two. The quarter closed dramatically as Tiffany Hayes drained another three-pointer, pushing the Aces to a slim two-point lead at the buzzer. At the end of the first quarter, the Las Vegas Aces led the Indiana Fever 20-18 after a thrilling back-and-forth battle.

The second quarter kicked off with Megan Gustafson receiving a pass from Tiffany Hayes and finishing with a layup for two. Hayes quickly followed up with two free throws, sinking both with precision. Chelsea Gray joined the action, getting a pass from Hayes and driving in for another layup. Caitlyn Clark responded immediately, draining a three-pointer. Gray got the ball again and knocked down a smooth jumper for two.

Moments later, Alicia Clark hit a corner three, extending the Aces’ lead. Indiana answered back as Aaliyah Boston found Kelsey Mitchell, who made a jumper for two. Mitchell then got fouled and calmly sank both free throws. Gray continued to dominate, hitting another two-pointer despite Clark’s defense. But Caitlyn Clark retaliated, passing to Aaliyah Boston, who faked out the defender and made it for two. Alicia Clark responded again, nailing a three with accuracy, followed by another deep shot from the opposite corner.

With just a minute left, Kelsey Mitchell drove in for a layup, adding two more for Indiana. Nelissa Smith stepped up, knocking down a free throw. A’ja Wilson then returned to form, hitting a mid-range jumper for two. As the clock wound down, Caitlyn Clark drove to the basket, slicing through the defense for a layup. The quarter ended with the Las Vegas Aces holding a nine-point lead.

In the second quarter, the Aces widened their lead with key plays from Chelsea Gray and Alicia Clark, who hit crucial shots, including two threes from Clark. Caitlyn Clark and Kelsey Mitchell responded for Indiana, but the Aces stayed in control. The quarter ended with the Aces leading by nine points, 41-32.

The third quarter started with Jackie Young sinking a jump shot for two. Kelsey Mitchell had a chance at the free throw line after a foul but missed. However, Aaliyah Boston quickly passed to Mitchell, who made a layup for two. Kelsey Plum responded with a layup of her own, then turned up the pressure by stealing the ball from Mitchell, who answered with a three-pointer. Jackie Young added another layup while Caitlyn Clark passed to Boston, who missed but was backed up by Nelissa Smith tipping it in.

Chelsea Gray earned free throws and made both. Smith then drove to the basket, finishing with a reverse layup. Smith missed a three-pointer, but Boston cleaned it up with a putback for two. Clark made a layup, drew a foul, and hit the free throw. A’ja Wilson knocked down a mid-range two, and shortly after, Clark was fouled by Jackie Young while driving to the basket. Tensions rose as Kelsey Plum tried to steal the ball again from Mitchell, but the referee quickly intervened to calm things down.

Lexi Hull later hit two free throws, and Plum responded by draining a three-pointer over Mitchell while Hull powered through the defense for a two-point shot. Wilson added another mid-range jumper but missed her free throw. Chelsea Gray followed with a two-pointer, but after a foul call, Aces coach Becky Hammond showed her frustration. Clark and Gray traded free throws, but with a minute left, Clark lost control of the ball, leading to a fast-break layup by Sydney Coulson. Lexi Hull then hit a step-back jumper for two, and as the quarter came to a close, Kelsey Mitchell missed a shot, but Smith tipped it in to end the quarter.

At the end of the third quarter, the Las Vegas Aces led the Indiana Fever 64-57 after a thrilling back-and-forth battle. The fourth and final quarter began with Alicia Clark hitting two free throws after a foul. Kelsey Mitchell responded immediately with a three-pointer, but Kaela Stokes answered with a corner three of her own. Tamy Bentley followed up with a layup for two, and A’ja Wilson matched it with a layup, then hit two free throws after drawing a foul.

Bentley knocked down a mid-range jumper, but Wilson quickly responded with another mid-range shot. Mitchell drained another three to keep Indiana’s hopes alive, but Wilson was unstoppable, hitting yet another mid-range jumper. Caitlyn Clark fought back with a layup, but Wilson responded once more with a layup and a free throw after being fouled. As time ran down, Clark delivered a beautiful bounce pass to Bentley, who finished with a layup to seal the game.

Alicia Clark hit a three-pointer from the corner, bringing the contest to an end. Wilson was dominant throughout, hitting key mid-range shots and free throws, while Kelsey Plum added valuable points, including some clutch three-pointers. Despite late efforts from Clark and Mitchell, the Fever couldn’t close the gap, as Alicia Clark’s final corner three sealed the win for the Aces.

Final score: Las Vegas Aces 86, Indiana Fever 75.