When the Indiana Fever won Game 1 of their semifinal clash against the heavily-favored Las Vegas Aces, it looked like everything was going sunshine and butterflies and rainbows for the seventh-seeded Fever team that continues to punch above its weight class amid the season-ending injury to Caitlin Clark.
But the Aces, led by four-time MVP A'ja Wilson, showed that they are one of the league's best teams for a reason. They've now won two consecutive games to take control of the series, with an 84-72 win in Game 3 on Friday giving them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
For Game 3 of their semifinal matchup, the series shifted back to the Fever's home floor. And for most of the game, the Fever were actually keeping in step with the Aces. They were even leading towards the end of the third before the Aces scored six unanswered to end the frame to take a three-point lead (59-56) heading into the final period. But with six minutes left in the fourth, that's when things went off the rails for the Fever.
Indiana went scoreless for nearly four minutes of game time (from 6:20 of the fourth to 2:32), and that's when the Aces pulled away and built a double-digit lead. The crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse was in audible disbelief for how the Fever couldn't jolt themselves out of a cold spell, and the team's fans shared the crowd's sentiment on social media.
“The Fever f**kin suck only scored 3 points so far in the whole 4th quarter trash a** s**t,” X user @CMo_RealRonWest wrote.
“Honestly, kind of ready for this Indiana Fever season to be over with. This is NOT the team we want and not even close to what we will be next year. Now it’s up to the front office to figure out how they want to improve the Indiana Fever next season, if there is one,” @dreamguydaily added.
Fever fans have mixed emotions as they stare down elimination
No one can discount the success the Fever have had this year. But it looks as though their Cinderella story is about to hit a very abrupt midnight awakening. Fans, in turn, have mixed emotions regarding the Fever's predicament, with some expressing optimism as well for what's to come.
“Any way you look at it, the end is near for the Fever. It has already been a great year. Fever need to figure out how to build on these accomplishments for next year,” @StarBaseAI wrote.
“Genuinely thought today was a very winnable game. If next game is the end of the season, Fever definitely proved they can hang even down multiple stars. Looking forward towards next season and definitely wish everyone stays healthy,” @Butters360 opined.
