A journalist gave Becky Hammon a harsh reminder immediately after their nail-biting Seattle Storm win. Hammon was asked, “You dropped two of the three games to them this year, but you haven’t seen them since late July. What excites you about that match-up?” The Las Vegas Aces coach gave a commanding answer. “They haven’t seen the real Aces yet,” Hammon said. “They caught us when we were in a bit of turmoil, whooped us in one of those stretches. So we’ll buckle in, hone in where we can, and take care of business.”

On paper, the Aces seem to be the clear favorite. Hammon has A’ja Wilson in her armory, who seems to drop a double-double every other day. They have lost only 1 in their last 19 games, but their Game 3 74-73 win nearly swung the other way in the final quarter, something that has been a thorn on their side all season long. According to CBS reporter and analyst Alicia Jay, their Game 3 win against the Storm was too close for comfort. “The Aces really eked that win out. They really did. And they should be, I mean, they should be so glad that she didn’t sink that last shot, but also just in the fact that they really got to the next round by this much.” She said on the ‘We Need To Talk’ Podcast.

The Aces just couldn’t shake off the Storm. Even after leading by as much as 14 points, the Storm crept back in. Becky Hammon’s team conceded a whopping 25 points in the final quarter while scoring only 14. Aces are 9th in the league when it comes to 4th quarter points. They lost 4th quarters 20.3-19.8 on average in the regular season.  This habit could prove costly when they come up against the Fever, according to Jay. 

She said, “When you look at the Aces who are playing the Fever, and this is a team that literally has nothing to lose. They’ve already exceeded what people have thought they were going to do, and they’re a team that is just like we can win this thing, and that’s dangerous.”

The Indiana Fever were written out of their Game 3 against the Atlanta Dream. Not without reason, they have 5 of their core players injured, and the team is patched up with emergency signings. They trailed for the majority of Game 3 against the Dream, but they did not lose hope. Fever remained within touching distance and finally got the reward in the final seconds with Aliyah Boston’s go-ahead layup. The team’s tenacity is something to admire, which is why Jay further said, “The Aces simply cannot play the way that they played in the last round and make it against this Fever team because they want it just as badly, if not more than they do.”

The Fever have been better in the fourth quarter as compared to the Aces, scoring 20.1 points per game while conceding 19.9. That’s not much difference, but like we have seen from both Game 3 of the  Fever and Aces, each point counts. This negligible difference could decide who goes to the finals, and the weight of expectations could crush Becky Hammon and the Aces. 

Favored and fragile: Could Becky Hammon’s Aces trip vs. the Fever?

Like we discussed, Hammon had some bold words for the Indiana Fever. The Aces are heavily favoured by the media. Just look at the ESPN predictions for the playoffs. Each of their reporters, from Kendra Andrews to Michael Voepel, has the Aces to win the series and advance. Some don’t even see the series going to Game 5. 

Even the Athletic predicts the Aces to win in 4, but even Sabreena Merchant noted, “Indiana realizes that most of the external pressure is off after its litany of injuries, and Las Vegas is in championship-or-bust mode. The Fever will still compete, but they are relishing the underdog role.” When you have the only 4-time MVP in WNBA history, pressure comes with the territory. Wilson’s 2025 season has been considered the norm because that is the standard she has set.

Like Jay said, the Fever are way beyond what anyone expected from them. That will be breaking their shackles. No expectations, no weight, just hoops. That’s when the game gets fun and the basketball flows. The Fever have more than enough firepower with Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell playing some of their best basketball. Lexie Hull, Odyssey Sims, along their entire squad are providing crucial support. If this team can get an early lead in the series, the pressure on the Aces will rise further. Their experience helps, but pressure still leaves a mark, and favorites feel it, Aces included.