A Bar Fight in Vegas

The Las Vegas Aces were facing a moment of truth on Tuesday night. After losing Game 1 at home, a loss in Game 2 would send them home for the season. Head coach Becky Hammon had a message for her team: "You can't tiptoe into a bar fight." The Aces, who Hammon said are sometimes "too nice," took that advice to heart, dominating the Indiana Fever in a 90-68 victory to even the series at one game apiece.

A'ja Wilson Puts the Team on Her Back

A’ja Wilson, the newly crowned MVP, came out firing, scoring 11 points in the first quarter, nearly half of her total from Game 1. But it was her frontcourt partner, NaLyssa Smith, who was the real spark plug. Smith, who spent the first three years of her career with the Fever, was a force in the paint, scoring 18 points and earning nine trips to the foul line.

The Aces, who were outscored in the paint in Game 1, won the battle of the boards 44-32. They also forced six turnovers and limited the Fever to just four fast-break points, a sign that they were finally playing with the hustle and feistiness that Hammon had been looking for.

With the series now tied, the Aces have a chance to take control and win the series. For the Fever, they'll have to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to stop an Aces team that is finally playing with the intensity of a championship contender.