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‘The job’s not done’: Aces back in Finals after OT win over Fever — PHOTOS

Updated October 1, 2025 - 12:29 am

Sniffing back tears behind rectangular black glasses, an emotional Stephanie White took to the podium after her Indiana Fever pushed the Aces to the brink Tuesday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

The Aces secured their third trip to the WNBA Finals in four years with a 107-98 overtime win in Game 5 of their semifinals series with the Fever thanks to massive performances from A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray.

Indiana gave a valiant effort, but was decimated by more injuries to a group that lost superstar guard Caitlin Clark last month. No one predicted the No. 6-seeded Fever would give the No. 2 Aces such a fight.

“It’s a special story, and I hope one day it’s told,” said White, Indiana’s coach.

But history is told by the victors, and as Aces coach Becky Hammon said before Tuesday’s game, her team’s imperfect journey wins.

“You couldn’t write it any better,” Hammon said. “This team worked to climb to that No. 2 spot to have home-court advantage in this kind of scenario. … Now you’ve got to go out and do the work again.”

Hammon, after the win, referenced the country group Rascal Flatts as she joked with Wilson about God blessing the broken road that saw the Aces go from under .500 in the first half of the season to now preparing to face the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is Friday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Wilson, a four-time WNBA MVP, had a game-high 35 points Tuesday. Young added 32 points and 10 assists, making her and Wilson the first pair of teammates to score 30 points each in a postseason game.

Gray, who limped off the court and briefly went to the locker room in the third quarter because of an apparent right leg injury, scored eight of her 17 points in overtime.

Wilson called it a “vintage” performance from Gray. She added she knew Gray, the 2022 Finals MVP, would deliver after she “saw the look in (Gray’s) eyes” after they lost Sunday’s Game 4 in Indiana.

The Aces won back-to-back championships their last two trips to the Finals in 2022 and 2023. Young and Wilson both relished postgame how different their path was this time.

“We had to sit down, have a talk and figure out if this is really what we wanted,” Young said of the team’s rocky start. “So I’m just proud of everyone for just being unselfish and trusting the process.”

Wilson added: “It does definitely feel a lot different than the ones before, only because we went through the mud for this one.”

Guard Odyssey Sims had 27 points for the Fever, who lost guard Kelsey Mitchell to cramping in the third quarter. Mitchell, who finished fifth in the MVP voting this year, was helped off the court after refusing a stretcher that paramedics brought for her. White said postgame that Mitchell was in the hospital receiving fluids. Center Aliyah Boston helped Mitchell up before fouling out for Indiana herself in the fourth quarter.

Hammon commended the Fever for the way “they just would not go away.”

Sims made a driving layup to tie the game for the 16th time with 22.5 seconds to play in regulation. The Aces called a timeout and Hammon drew up a play that saw Young drive to the basket for a layup. Her shot fell out, sending the game to overtime.

Aces guard Jewell Loyd hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the extra session. That was answered by a jumper from Fever guard Lexie Hull.

Gray came back with a 3-pointer of her own, then hit another one after Sims made two free throws. That led Wilson to pantomime a camera for Gray’s signature “highlight reel” celebration.

Guard Dana Evans later hit a jump shot that put the Aces up six with 42.1 seconds to play and all but sealed the win.

Wilson scored her only points of overtime with 12 seconds remaining at the free-throw line, garnering “MVP” chants that Gray attempted to quell so Wilson could focus.

Unfazed, Wilson reminded the crowd after the game the Aces still have one more goal to accomplish.

“The job’s not done,” Wilson said. “I’m gonna need all of y’all to show up from here on out. And let’s try to get this one home.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.

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