Fever stun Aces

Make no mistake. The Fever’s win on the road flipped the script. For the last couple of seasons, the Aces had made the Michelob ULTRA Arena their citadel, overwhelming visitors with sheer relentlessness. Yet, in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals, it was the decidedly shorthanded and unproven underdogs who dictated tempo in an 89-73 shocker that belied conventional wisdom. And not for nothing was the upset recorded on the very day A’ja Wilson was crowned league Most Valuable Player.

- COURTSIDE ANTHONY L. CUAYCONG

Kelsey Mitchell provided the anchor, her 34 points amassed through remarkable calm. She took what the defense gave her and made the most of her opportunities; whether hitting from deep or slicing to the rim, she quieted each swell of momentum by the Aces with answers of her own. Along with Aliyah Boston, Odyssey Sims, and Natasha Howard, she turned the absence of injured teammates into an afterthought — a development that underscored their grit and determination, “We all we got, we all we need,” they chanted prior to entering the court; they then proved it with relentless effort that made them greater than the sum of their individual parts.