The underdogs are heading home. Both No. 8 New York and No. 3 Las Vegas host must-win Game 3 clashes in tonight’s WNBA semifinals slate.
The Liberty will try to get past No. 4 Atlanta, after Wednesday’s controversial overtime victory cemented the Dream’s 2-0 semifinal series lead.
The Aces will look for answers against No. 2 Golden State, after the Valkyries overcame a late rally to push the reigning champion to the brink of elimination.
History is stacked against the home sides. No WNBA team has ever come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five playoff series.
The sportsbooks also favor a first-time title-winner. Golden State (+120) and Atlanta (+130) are subsequently outpacing Las Vegas (+800) and New York (+1300).
“The goal is to get one quarter at a time,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “And you got to string it together.”
New York welcomes Atlanta tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN2). Later, Las Vegas tips off against Golden State at 9:30 PM ET (NBC Sports).
A’ja Wilson has done it again, as the Las Vegas Aces forward won a league-record fifth WNBA MVP award on Thursday — her third in as many years.
Wilson received 65 of 74 first-place votes and nine second-place votes, beating out Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, Fever stars Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, and Liberty veteran Breanna Stewart.
“This one here is just a little bit different,” Wilson said. “As a girl, you dream so big, and you write your goals out, and you just never imagine that you will be able to check them off.”
Wilson opted to skip the traditional pregame ceremony tonight, as No. 3 Las Vegas hunts semifinal redemption against No. 2 Golden State.
“I love the fans, but I will not be doing that,” she said. “I will be warming up with my team... Everyone in this room knows how much of a competitor I am [and] what my main focus is.”
Wilson averaged 26.2 points per game in 2026 — ranking second in WNBA history behind her own 26.9-point 2024 average. Meanwhile, she owns four of the top seven single-season points totals on record.
No. 2 Golden State is on the brink of WNBA history, as the second-year franchise held off No. 3 Las Vegas 83-81 in last night’s Aces vs Valkyries clash to take a 2-0 playoffs lead — moving within one win of its first trip to the finals.
The Valkyries built a 17-point lead by the third quarter, leaning on a swarming perimeter defense that left the Aces scrambling.
Las Vegas stormed back to grab its first lead since Game 1, before Gabby Williams buried a go-ahead jumper and fed Veronica Burton for a dagger 3-pointer to seal it.
The result underscored the WNBA playoffs series’ emphasis on depth over star power, as Golden State met four-time MVP A’ja Wilson with its tested rotation.
Aces coach Becky Hammon emptied her bench in search of answers, deploying Kalani Brown, Justine Pissott, and two-time champion Dana Evans.
“If we lose, we go home,” Hammon said of her squad’s approach to Game 3. “We know we’re capable of stringing three in a row... No reverse psychology, no nothing. Just go out and get it done.”
The best-of-five series moves to Las Vegas tomorrow, as the Aces host the Valkyries at 9:30 PM ET (NBC Sports).
No. 3 Las Vegas is shooting its shot, searching for a bounce-back against No. 2 Golden State tonight after opening the best-of-five Aces vs Valkyries WNBA playoffs series with a 71-60 loss.
Gabby Williams dropped 25 points in Game 1, one-upping A’ja Wilson’s 24 while holding Las Vegas to a season-low 60 points on the road.
Wilson has anchored the Aces all postseason with 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, with Jackie Young putting up 20.2 points on 46.3% shooting over her last 10.
The banged-up Aces’ lineup hangs in the balance, with guard Jewell Loyd currently listed as “doubtful” after the veteran departed Game 1 with a left leg knock.
Las Vegas carried a hefty IL on Sunday, as Loyd joined Stephanie Talbot (leg), Dana Evans (knee), and NaLyssa Smith (SEI) on the bench.
“We’re a little bit depleted right now,” coach Becky Hammon said. “At some point I wish we would get healthy, but you know, it is what it is.”
Las Vegas takes on Golden State tonight at 9:30 PM ET (NBC Sports).
No. 2 Golden State ran the floor in last night’s Aces vs Valkyries clash. The second-year expansion team fended off No. 3 Las Vegas 71-60 in front of a hyped Balhalla crowd, grabbing a one-game WNBA semifinals lead.
Guard Gabby Williams led with 25 points and 11 rebounds. She set the tone for a smothering Valkyries defense that held the Aces to just 29% shooting.
“We were really connected tonight,” Williams said. “And then it came down to rebounding.”
Las Vegas will look to shake off the hostile environment in Game 2, hunting a critical road win in the best-of-five series.
Outside its Big Three — A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young — the usually explosive Aces combined for just nine points on Sunday.
“The good news is, we played like ass and only lost by 10,” coach Becky Hammon wryly noted.
Golden State hosts Las Vegas on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET (ESPN).
Becky Hammon is standing "10 toes down" behind A'ja Wilson. The Las Vegas Aces coach backed her star player after the WNBA decided not to suspend Wilson for an incident involving an Indiana Fever fan during their Game 2 playoff loss.
After reviewing the incident, the league determined Wilson remained in the player escape lane rather than entering the seating area. That distinction made further punishment beyond her in-game technical foul unnecessary.
How Did the A'ja Wilson Fever Fan Incident Unfold After Sophie Cunningham's Foul?
The exhange played out with roughly four minutes left at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on September 29th, shortly after Sophie Cunningham was called for a blocking foul on Wilson in the lane.
A nearby fan stood up, pointed at Wilson, and stepped toward her, prompting the Aces star to confront him directly before teammates intervened. Cunningham, meanwhile, used the chaos to argue the call with officials.
Security briefly removed the fan but let him return after concluding he hadn't violated Indiana's Fan Code of Conduct.
Becky Hammon's Thoughts on A'ja Wilson's Possible Suspension
Despite putting up 22 points and nine rebounds in the 99-89 loss that evened the series at 1-1, Wilson drew more attention for the confrontation than her stat line. Hammon, who said she had never seen Wilson react that way, called the fan's behavior unacceptable.
"She felt very disrespected in that moment," Hammon said. "So, whatever it was, [it] doesn't have any place in an arena."
With no suspension looming, Wilson answered in Game 3 by scoring 36 points with 10 rebounds, powering the Aces to a 94-83 win.
No. 3 Las Vegas punched its ticket, taking down No. 6 Indiana 94-83 on Thursday to win the best-of-three first-round series and book a trip to the WNBA semifinals.
Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson made the difference for the defending champion. She posted 36 points and 10 rebounds while helping hold Fever duo Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell to less than 34% from the field.
“I was just trying to send a message not only to the Indiana Fever but to my teammates,” Wilson said. “We kept saying, ‘Empty the tank.’”
The Aces next face either No. 2 Golden State or No. 7 Dallas on Sunday, as the Valkyries and Wings gear up for tonight’s winner-take-all Game 3.
Golden State is hunting a first-ever semifinal berth after letting Game 2 slip away in overtime behind Dallas guard Arike Ogunbowale’s late-game burst.
“We’re not here to trade baskets with people, we’re a defensive team,” said Valkyries guard Gabby Williams. “We need to get stops.”
Golden State hosts Dallas tonight at 9 PM ET (ESPN2).
Caitlin Clark's WNBA playoff run with the Indiana Fever ended Thursday in Las Vegas, where a physical Game 3 loss to the Aces left the second-year guard bloodied on the court. Clark finished with 18 points, four assists, and four blocks in the 94-83 defeat at Michelob Ultra Arena where the whistles never really let up.
Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell Put Up a Fight In 1st Quarter
Tensions surfaced early when Clark and Brianna Turner drew matching technicals after a first-quarter confrontation. Head coach Stephanie White picked up one of her own shortly after.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, Kelsey Mitchell kept Indiana within reach, leading the Fever with 23 points while battling through a glaring free-throw disparity that saw Las Vegas attempt 15 more from the line.
But the game's defining moment came with just over three minutes remaining.
What Led to Caitlin Clark's Bloodied Lip in Fever's WNBA Playoffs Game?
Jewell Loyd's elbow caught Clark in the mouth during a rebound battle, forcing her off the floor for treatment with a bloodied lip. She was back on the court before play resumed, flashing the injury to referees, but no foul was called.
The Aces were able to take advantage of the chaos, with A'ja Wilson's 36-point, 10-rebound performance sealing the win for Las Vegas. The 2025 champion has now knocked Indiana out of the WNBA playoffs for a second straight year.
Still, the Fever found positives in the tough loss.
"You kind of take the burn a little bit," Clark said. "But also [remember] how much fun this season was and how together our group was and just getting to replicate that going forward."
After splitting their first two WNBA playoff games, Indiana and Las Vegas meet tonight in a do-or-die Fever vs Aces Game 3 to decide the postseason series. Despite the leveled playing field, Indiana Fever fans will look to watch their team ride a wave of momentum thanks to Caitlin Clark's Game 2 playoff performance.
Caitlin Clark, A'ja Wilson Headline Fever vs Aces Playoff Series So Far
Clark poured in 27 points and dished 15 assists during Tuesday night's 99-89 victory. No player in WNBA playoff history had ever reached both marks in a single game.
Indiana fell behind early at Gainbridge Fieldhouse before stringing together a 20-6 stretch to seize the lead. A heated confrontation between Aces MVP A'ja Wilson and a fan added to the tension late in the fourth quarter, but Indiana was on the attack well before that. All-WNBA First Team pick Kelsey Mitchell chipped in 26 points, helping the Fever own the paint 58-26 on the night.
"I thought we played with a back-against-the-wall desperation that you need to play with at playoff time," coach Stephanie White said of her team's performance.
They'll need that drive should Las Vegas channel the Game 1 dominance they displayed over the weekend. In the first WNBA playoffs meeting between the two teams, Wilson torched Indiana for 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting in a 102-85 rout.
Clark shot just 6-of-17 with six turnovers in that loss. Cleaning up those miscues on the Aces' home floor could decide whether Indiana's season continues.
Where to Watch: Fever vs Aces Game 3
Tipoff for the winner-take-all Game 3 is tonight at 9 PM ET on USA.
Las Vegas Aces guard Justine Pissott opened up about her own sexual assault as the Cornell 7 case, in which seven Cornell University fraternity members are accused of drugging and assaulting a fellow student, continues to draw national scrutiny.
Las Vegas Aces Guard Speaks Out on Cornell 7 Case
Pissott, a former Vanderbilt standout selected by the Indiana Fever in the 2026 WNBA Draft, revealed that she was drugged and sexually assaulted. The Las Vegas star did not share when or where the assault occurred, but she did describe its lasting effects.
"When something like this happens to you, it doesn't just end when that night ends," Pissott said. "You carry it with you."
What is the Current State of the Cornell University Fraternity Investigation?
Her statement arrived during a pivotal stretch in the Cornell University fraternity investigation. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten recently reopened the case and pledged to bring evidence before a grand jury within 45 days. Governor Kathy Hochul has also pushed for an independent review of how Cornell handled the allegations.
Of the seven accused Chi Phi fraternity members, Cornell University expelled two and suspended two more. Still, prosecutors have yet to file any criminal charges. That gap continues to fuel public pressure and makes voices like Pissott's all the more significant.
"I know how lonely this kind of pain can feel," the Aces player continued. "And if sharing even a small part of my story makes another survivor feel less alone, then it's worth it. To her and every survivor carrying something similar, I see you. I'm praying for you. And I pray we continue creating a world where survivors feel safe enough to use their voice without being torn apart for how they survived."