LAS VEGAS — White towels adorned with the queen from a deck of playing cards lined the seats of Michelob Ultra Arena ahead of a decisive WNBA Semifinals Game 5 on Tuesday between the Las Vegas Aces and the Indiana Fever. And the fans showed up with their own Vegas flair, donning silver face paint, their favorite Aces jerseys and pink wigs in honor of their recently crowned four-time MVP, A’ja Wilson.
That energy carried right into the start of the game as in-arena hosts CJ and Joe, as well as the Wild Card dance crew, worked to get the crowd loud and excited. Joined by their mascot, Buckets, the Aces took the court for the t-shirt tosses, and kids squealed with excitement as the friendly rabbit got near their sections.
From the very tip, the crowd seemed to react in unison, cheering and booing as the game ebbed and flowed. The Aces took a two-point lead into halftime with 14 and 12 points from Wilson and Jackie Young, respectively.
The Aces surged ahead to start the third quarter — much to the enjoyment of the hometown crowd. However, the entire arena sat in stunned silence when, midway through the period, Indiana star Kelsey Mitchell fell to the court and received medical attention.
She revealed on X on Wednesday that she suffered from Rhabdomyolysis, a condition that forced her muscles to stop producing and start breaking down. As she managed to get off the court with assistance, fans cheered in support of Mitchell, who was sent to the hospital to receive treatment.
Though both teams appeared rattled after the incident, the game continued on with the Aces holding a narrow lead to enter the fourth quarter. Once again, the Fever rallied, ultimately tying the game on a pair of free throws by Odyssey Sims with 52 seconds remaining in regulation.
When the game went into overtime, fans stood for the entire five minutes. As the seconds wound down, the DJ played “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. The arena roared with rhythm as Aces fans shouted the lyrics during the last timeout. And when the clock hit double zeros, fans roared with excitement, as the Aces had just punched their ticket to their third finals appearance in four years.
The playoff atmosphere at “The House” is here to stay. With the higher seed, the Aces locked home-court advantage going into the finals. The Aces now look to win their third championship in four years, and home-court advantage will play a critical role in the matchup against the Phoenix Mercury.
The battle of the desert begins on Friday at Michelob Ultra Arena. Tip-off is at 5 p.m. PST. The matchup will be live on ESPN.
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