Sports
The WNBA Finals are on the line: Your guide to Aces-Fever Game 5
LAS VEGAS — The Phoenix Mercury are waiting. Will the Las Vegas Aces or Indiana Fever join them in the WNBA Finals?
Half of the championship series is set after the No. 4 seed Mercury eliminated the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. The Aces host the Fever on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in a decisive Game 5 of a semifinal series.
The No. 2 seed Aces — who won WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023 — seek their third Finals appearance in the past four seasons. The No. 6 seed Fever look to go back to the Finals for the first time since 2015. Las Vegas has MVP A’ja Wilson and the home-court advantage in the winner-take-all, but Indiana already has pulled one series upset by defeating the No. 3 seed Atlanta Dream 2-1 in the first round.
Caitlin Clark, last season’s Rookie of the Year, has not played since mid-July because of a groin injury. The Fever have relied on All-Stars Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston to carry the team, which has been injury ravaged at the guard position.
The WNBA Finals — in an expanded best-of-seven format for the first time — will begin Friday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) with the highest remaining seed hosting the first two games. Can the Fever pull off another upset to get there? Or will the Aces prevail to set up an all-desert matchup against Phoenix?
ESPN experts Kendra Andrews, Charlie Creme, Kevin Pelton, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel break down what to expect Tuesday.
The Fever have momentum; the Aces have home-court advantage. What is a bigger factor in Game 5?
Creme: Neither has carried much weight in this series — both teams are 1-1 at home — but I lean on home court being the biggest factor in a winner-take-all game. The Las Vegas crowd will be loud and engaged, and while the Aces are not invincible at home (Indiana won Game 1), they went 17-5 at Michelob Ultra Arena in the regular season. The atmosphere should provide some extra energy, which seemed to disrupt Indiana in Game 2. The caveat: In the first round, the Fever won their deciding game on the road over Atlanta, which went 16-6 at home in the regular season, just 11 days ago.
Andrews: For Game 5, experience will be the biggest game-changing factor. The Aces are a proven championship team. That, paired with them playing on their home court, makes them the favorite to make it out of this series.
Pelton: This is the ninth time in WNBA history that a team has won Game 4 at home to force a deciding Game 5. In those situations, the home team is 5-3 in Game 5, a little worse than the overall mark for all home Game 5s (9-5, .643). So I’d say the edge goes to Las Vegas, but it’s close enough that anything could happen.
The Fever have blown away expectations and predictions so far. Why might they add to the postseason upsets and advance?
Creme: Kelsey Mitchell. The Indiana guard has proved to be at least the second-most unguardable player in the series. Indiana has found a formula that has worked twice, and it’s largely built on Mitchell and the Aces’ lack of answers for her quickness, speed and shooting range.
As historically good as Wilson is, Aliyah Boston has proved to be a worthy adversary, neutralizing Wilson or, as in Game 4, being able to score right along with the four-time MVP. Las Vegas will make adjustments just as it did to slow Mitchell in Game 2 after her 34-point explosion in the opener. But Mitchell threw a solid counterpunch Sunday with 25 more points. If she gets the upper hand one more time, the Fever could find themselves in the Finals.
Voepel: The Aces have shown vulnerability at home in these playoffs. In addition to losing Game 1 of the semifinals, they were an Erica Wheeler jump shot away from potentially being upset in the first round by the Seattle Storm.
The Aces are the home team, but the Fever are playing with “house” money. They are the underdog that wasn’t expected to get this far. There is more pressure on the Aces as the favorites, and we will see how they handle that.
Philippou: The Fever have thrived this year when they feel as if their backs are against the wall, especially in the postseason, where they are 3-0 in elimination games (the most by any team in a single postseason since the 2022 Connecticut Sun).
To Voepel’s point, the Aces are facing way more pressure trying to advance to their third Finals in four years and cementing their status as a WNBA dynasty. Indiana needs to play free but also with aggression and urgency from the jump, to pull off another upset. The Fever must not only hold stout defensively but also get contributions on the other end from more players beyond Mitchell. Boston is a logical pick as another top scorer, but look for Odyssey Sims to be their X factor as she was in their Game 1 and 4 victories.
1:04
Aces takes a 2-1 series lead with a win over Fever
Jackie Young leads all scorers with 25 points as the Aces defeat the Fever 84-72.
Las Vegas was so dominant at the end of the regular season but has been dominated at times by Indiana. What changed?
Andrews: The amount of energy and effort it takes to go on a 17-game win streak can make it hard to sustain. The same could be said for what happened with Minnesota. The Lynx were so good for such a long period of time, but they ran out of steam (not to mention the unfortunate injury to Napheesa Collier and suspension of coach Cheryl Reeve).
The point is: It’s hard to play so perfectly for such long stretches. The fact Las Vegas did and fought its way from playoff bubble to the No. 2 seed is incredibly impressive. But now, some of the Aces’ energy is faltering, and it has cost Las Vegas at times against this pesky Indiana team.
Voepel: The Fever have had players step forward in a big way in their two victories this series, so a lot of the credit for how the Aces have looked goes to Indiana. Mitchell in Game 1 and Boston in Game 4 were the stars who stood out, but Sims was also big in both of those victories with a combined 35 points on 59% shooting from the field. The Fever have made the Aces’ defense work hard in Indiana’s two victories.
Philippou: Game 1 felt like a fluke, perhaps in part due to all the excitement from Wilson’s MVP announcement earlier that day. At the time, Wilson chalked it up to something simple: “We didn’t come to work.” Aces coach Becky Hammon has stressed that her team cannot get too high emotionally after wins, and while she seemed frustrated about the free throw disparity in Indiana’s favor in Game 4, she also acknowledged that her team lacked energy defensively.
It’s not a coincidence that Las Vegas is 0-3 this postseason when it gives up over 80 points and is 4-0 when the opponent doesn’t reach that threshold. The Aces’ defensive improvement was a big factor fueling their win streak. No doubt Hammon will be looking for Las Vegas to win the series with defense Tuesday, with containing Mitchell the top priority.
Which Aces player not named A’ja Wilson must step up for Las Vegas to win?
Voepel: Guard Jewell Loyd took a different role with the Aces this season than she had for a decade in Seattle. That especially became the case when she moved to a reserve role off the bench. And Loyd told ESPN earlier this month that she takes pride in being thought of as more than a scorer. She wants to be seen as someone who sets good screens, helps set up her teammates and plays good defense.
Those things all matter a lot. But the Aces might need her scoring in Game 5. Going back to Game 3 of the Aces’ first-round series with Seattle, Loyd is averaging 4.6 points over her past five games while shooting 30.4%. She scored in double digits only once in that stretch, with 10 points in the Aces’ Game 2 victory over Indiana. Loyd can still stretch the defense when she is hitting from the perimeter, and it could be a big help Tuesday.
Pelton: NaLyssa Smith wasn’t bad in Game 4, scoring eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, but she has been the biggest bellwether for Las Vegas in the playoffs. When Smith scores in double figures, including Games 2 and 3 in this series, the Aces are 3-0. Las Vegas is 1-3 in the four games in which Smith has been held to single digits.
Philippou: Jackie Young has been a two-way force in the playoffs and might sneakily be the most important player for the Aces’ success this series. Aside from her, Dana Evans has had some really strong moments in which her ability to get downhill has swung momentum in Vegas’ favor. A big night from her would bode well for the two-time champs.
1:05
Aces cruise to G2 win, tie series with Fever
A’ja Wilson scores 25 points as the Aces defeat the Fever 90-68 to take Game 2 of their playoff series.
How will Game 5 and the WNBA Finals be officiated?
Pelton: The Fever attempted 23 more free throws than the Aces in Game 4; the advantage was the largest for any WNBA team in the playoffs so far, which naturally caught the attention of the Aces. Wilson spent part of her postgame availability highlighting that three Las Vegas starters had five fouls, and reserve Megan Gustafson was called for four in 15 minutes.
Inevitably, the situation will be more favorable for the Aces in Game 5. Although there is some carryover from game to game in terms of free throw differential, which might reflect teams’ strengths and weaknesses, it tends to move about 50% toward even from one game to the next. Sometimes that is attributed to complaints by players and coaches when it’s probably nothing more than regression to the mean.
Still, after the WNBA followed Cheryl Reeve’s suspension for Game 4 of the other semifinals matchup by fining both coaches in this series for their comments critical of referees in support of Reeve, the officiating will again be under the microscope Tuesday.
Voepel: The officials might feel they are under an unfair microscope now as this has become the biggest topic of the playoffs. But that toothpaste is out of the tube. And I agree with Kevin: The pendulum during a series tends to swing back and forth, which should benefit the Aces.
MLS and the Saudi Pro League are both “possible options” for Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah this summer, while Manchester United are eyeing Nottingham Forest defender Murillo. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades
TRENDING RUMORS
– A summer departure for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is appearing “increasingly likely,” according to BBC Sport. The Egypt international signed a new two-year deal last year, but in December hinted that he could leave Liverpool midseason and suggested the club has “thrown him under the bus” as he was repeatedly dropped from the starting XI. Salah remained at Liverpool once the January transfer deadline had passed, and he has started every game since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite that, an exit could be on the cards this summer, with the BBC reporting that the Saudi Pro League and MLS are “possible options” for the 33-year-old. Salah has scored two goals in nine club appearances in 2026.
– Manchester United are showing keen interest in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, according to TEAMtalk. The Red Devils have reportedly scouted the Brazilian “extensively,” making him an option for the summer. A transfer fee upwards of £60m has been quoted following some impressive performances for Forest. He is the third player from the City Ground that United have been linked with, in addition to England midfielders Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White.
– Real Madrid are set to join Liverpool in the battle to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, Mundo Deportivo reports. Los Blancos reportedly have the Germany centre-back down as a top target for the summer, when he enters his final year under contract with Dortmund. Liverpool have been linked with Schlotterbeck, with Ibrahima Konaté approaching the final few months of his contract at Anfield, while Virgil van Dijk‘s deal is due to expire at the end of next season. The Reds have already agreed a deal to sign Jérémy Jacquet from Stade Rennais to help strengthen the defensive department in the summer, but it’s unclear whether Schlotterbeck will join him at this stage.
– Atlético Madrid, Juventus and Newcastle United are all showing interest in signing Darwin Núñez this summer, according to Football Insider. The former Liverpool striker has been left out of Al Hilal‘s Saudi Pro League squad after they registered the signing of Karim Benzema, leading to talk of a possible exit. Atlético are reportedly the most likely to seal a deal out of the clubs named, with Núñez required to take a pay cut if he is to leave Al Hilal.
– AC Milan have added Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson to the top of their transfer wish list of strikers for the summer, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Senegal international is unlikely to remain at Bayern Munich, where he has received just 641 minutes of football so far in his loan spell this season, and will be available on another loan deal with a permanent option included. Milan have made him a target, while they have also shown interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy.
EXPERT TAKE
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OTHER RUMORS
– Liverpool view Real Madrid star Rodrygo as an option to replace Mohamed Salah in the summer, with the Brazil international facing an uncertain future. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are among those also linked (Ekrem Konur)
– Manchester City believe that they are leading the race to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer, ahead of their city rivals Manchester United (TEAMtalk)
– Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are interested in Eintracht Frankfurt defender Nathaniel Brown. (Ekrem Konur)
– Manchester United are concerned about losing Harry Maguire as a free agent in the summer, when his contract expires, at the same time as losing another experienced player in Casemiro. (Daily Mail)
– Juventus are eyeing a possible reunion with Randal Kolo Muani if Tottenham Hotspur do not make his loan move from Paris Saint-Germain permanent. (Tuttosport)
– Sunderland and West Ham United are keen on AC Milan and Mexico striker Santiago Giménez as his future appears uncertain at the Italian club. (AS)
– Manchester City are interested in Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, having previously missed out on landing the defender. (Football Insider)
– A Newcastle scout was in attendance to watch Parma vs. Cagliari in Serie A, keeping tabs on 20-year-old defender Marco Palestra, who is on loan at Cagliari from Atalanta. (Nicolo Schira)
– Jesse Lingard‘s move to Corinthians edges closer to completion, with he two parties agreeing on a one-year deal with an option of another year, subject to a medical (Fabrizio Romano)
KANDY: Pakistan’s shortcomings were laid bare during their lacklustre T20 World Cup campaign which ended Saturday when the team failed to reach the semi-finals.
From the captain Salman Agha, who was criticised for not being a T20 player, to slow batting rates and the use of all-rounders not up to the job, Pakistan were shown to be behind the times in the rapid-fire format.
Former wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal believes there is a huge gulf in standard between Pakistan and the top sides such as India, West Indies, South Africa and England.
“Other teams have evolved to the demands of Twenty20 cricket, but neither our team nor our players meet those standards,” Akmal told AFP.
“It is like other teams are playing on the moon and we are on earth. We only beat smaller teams but lose to top teams.”
Pakistan had high hopes for the T20 World Cup after sweeping Australia 3-0 in a pre-tournament series.
They boasted a quintet of spinners that should have been suited to the turning pitches in Sri Lanka where they played all their matches.
But they received a rude awakening in their first match against the Netherlands when only they squeezed home by three wickets in the final over thanks to Faheem Ashraf’s 11-ball 29.
‘Failed to handle pressure’
Like most of his predecessors at World Cups, Agha blundered in the pressure-cooker match against India, which only went ahead after the Pakistan government U-turned on a boycott just days before the encounter.
Agha won the toss and asked India to bat. The decision backfired badly as Pakistan conceded 175 and were hammered by 61 runs.
Agha inexplicably held back his mystery spinner and chief weapon Usman Tariq to the 11th over, by which time opener Ishan Kishan had scored his match-shaping 77 and India were well on their way to a winning total.
“How on earth did you bowl at a venue which was suited to batting first,” questioned former Pakistan player Basit Ali.
“After India scored 175 our batters failed to handle the pressure of a chase.”
Agha also held back Tariq’s second over against England, after he took a wicket in his first, allowing captain Harry Brook to build a sparkling match-winning century.
“It was weak captaincy from Agha,” said Akmal, who also took aim at the head coach Mike Hesson and the selectors.
“We were also not helped by head coach Mike Hesson, who has an obsession for bit-and-pieces all-rounders who were neither complete bowlers, nor good batters.”
Pakistan’s insistence in sticking with the out-of-sorts Babar Azam did nothing to help their shaky batting.
The star batsman’s slow scoring at number four interrupted the side’s rhythm.
He was dropped for the final match against Sri Lanka on Saturday where Pakistan finally posted a total in excess of 200, but it proved too little too late as New Zealand progressed on net run rate.
“We are all fans of Azam but he disappointed us by not adapting to the demands of T20 cricket,” said one Pakistan fan, Saud Baloch, who resigned from his job in the United Arab Emirates to go to the World Cup.
“The whole Pakistan fandom is not only disappointed but angry.
“But we know nothing will change and we will continue to mourn such defeats in future.”
Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley were the last ones standing in the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches to earn the right to challenge for WWE titles at WrestleMania 42 in April.
Orton beat Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul, Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans and LA Knight, with some helpful interferences by WWE Undisputed champion Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins, who returned from injury. In the women’s Elimination Chamber match, Ripley was victorious over Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez and Kiana James. Ripley will now compete in her seventh consecutive WrestleMania. With the win, Orton will challenge the winner of Friday’s title match between McIntyre and Rhodes on “SmackDown,” while Ripley will go toe-to-toe with WWE women’s champion Jade Cargill.
Also on the card, CM Punk beat Finn Bálor — again — to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. And Punk’s wife, AJ Lee, will also leave Chicago’s United Center with a title in hand after submitting Becky Lynch in a match for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Here are the biggest takeaways from WWE Elimination Chamber in Chicago.
Ripley’s win was deserving, but not surprising
0:54
Rhea Ripley books her ticket to WrestleMania by winning chamber match
Rhea Ripley wins the 2026 women’s Elimination Chamber match to earn a title match against Jade Cargill at WrestleMania.
A predictable Rhea Ripley win isn’t the worst outcome, but it didn’t help the match.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Ripley won the women’s Elimination Chamber. Seriously, was there any other choice? The outcome was made even more obvious when Ripley dropped the women’s tag titles on “SmackDown” the night before.
While predictable, this was the only way to go for Ripley. She’s arguably the biggest star on the entire roster, and not having her challenge for a world title at WrestleMania wouldn’t feel right. Still, it would have been nice if the WWE found a way to cast doubt on the outcome by building one of the other women as a viable option to win.
The end justified the means. Hopefully, WWE will make the outcome less obvious at next year’s Elimination Chamber. Chamber matches should provide an element of drama for fans rather than clearing a hurdle to the obvious.
Welcome back to the top of the hill, AJ Lee
1:08
AJ Lee wins first title in WWE in 11 years
AJ Lee forces Becky Lynch to tap out to the “Black Widow” to win the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Lee is now a champion, but can she help carry the women’s division?
Lee won her first singles match since ending her decade-long retirement last year. While it has been great to see Lee back in a WWE ring, taking part in a women’s division she helped push to new heights, she is now tasked with carrying a title that was held by an incredible in-ring performer in Lynch. The new car scent of Lee’s return from retirement is officially gone, and she’ll be judged by her work moving forward.
Lee’s match with Lynch was solid, but it was clear that she was knocking off some rust throughout the match. For her part, Lynch has been great in putting Lee over, and her ring generalship has been exceptional. But Lee will now be without Lynch heading into WrestleMania season. It will be interesting to see how WWE handles her next feud. She’s now 3-0 against Lynch in a mixed tag match, Survivor Series: WarGames and now singles competition. We’ll see who Lee faces in her first title defense and if she works with some of the younger talent on the roster.
Is Finn Bálor’s villain run coming to an end?
0:35
CM Punk retains title, cements match against Roman Reigns at Mania
CM Punk defeats Finn Balor to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, cementing his matchup against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
The Punk vs. Bálor match served two purposes. The obvious one was to get Punk a homecoming match in Chicago before he defends his championship against Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 42. Punk winning wasn’t a surprise, but it was great to see his nod to the Michael Jordan era Chicago Bulls starting lineup ceremony, complete with The Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius” and announcer Ray Clay.
The match itself was a solid affair as Punk and Bálor battled to a stalemate until Punk hit his second GTS of the night to get the win and celebrate in the ring with his wife, AJ Lee, afterward.
The second purpose may have been to turn Bálor into a babyface and pull him out of Judgment Day. Bálor has been teasing a split from the group over the past few weeks and demanded that he win or lose his match with Punk completely on his own, without help from Dominik Mysterio or JD McDonagh. Bálor lost on his own, and in a move unfitting of a heel, he shook Punk’s hand afterward. This will almost certainly set up his split from the group and we could be heading to a new era of Finn Bálor in WWE.
The Randy Orton-Cody Rhodes saga may not be over
0:44
Randy Orton wins the chamber, sets up match vs. Drew McIntyre at Mania
Randy Orton wins the Elimination Chamber match to seal a match against Drew McIntyre for the WWE championship at WrestleMania.
Orton is heading back to WrestleMania in a stunner.
Rhodes felt like an absolute shoo-in to win the men’s Elimination Chamber match and head back to the main event of WrestleMania against his rival, Drew McIntyre. Instead, McIntyre inserted himself into the match, attacking Rhodes when it was down to him and Randy Orton as the last two competitors. Apprearing to assist Rhodes, Orton hit McIntrye with an RKO. But just when Rhodes thought the coast was clear, following a successful Cross Rhodes on McIntryre, he ate an RKO from Orton. Three seconds later, and Orton is heading to WrestleMania in pursuit of his 15th world championship.
Who he’ll face is still up in the air because “SmackDown” general manager Nick Aldis — who is fed up with McIntyre’s constant interference in matches — announced that McIntyre will defend his Undisputed Championship this Friday against Rhodes.
Rhodes vs. Orton would be a fresh matchup for WrestleMania. It could get really interesting, given their history dating back to their time in the Legacy stable over a decade ago, where Orton served as Rhodes’ mentor. It’s the right move if they decide to have Rhodes beat McIntyre for the Undisputed Championship on Friday. But where would that leave McIntyre for WrestleMania?
Welcome back, Seth Rollins
0:46
Seth Rollins revealed as masked man, helps eliminate Logan Paul in the chamber
Seth Rollins is revealed as the masked man after he helps to eliminate Logan Paul in the Elimination Chamber.
After weeks of teasers, it was finally revealed that the masked man is none other than Seth “Freaking” Rollins.
The former leader of The Vision got his revenge when he curb-stomped Logan Paul, after a little bait and switch with another masked man. Rollins’ interference seemingly cost Paul a win in the Elimination Chamber match. Rollins pulled the mask off to reveal himself, and now we have to figure out where this is going.
Unfortunately, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed have been sidelined by injuries, which certainly disrupted whatever the original plan was. Rollins and Paul faced off at WrestleMania 39, which Rollins won. A retread of that match three years later doesn’t seem like the way to go, but WWE doesn’t have many options for Rollins at this point.
Hopefully, this is the end of the overran masked men angles.
Danhausen is the newest WWE superstar
0:43
Danhausen makes WWE debut coming out of mystery crate
The mystery crate is revealed to be the debut of Danhausen at Elimination Chamber.
Danhausen was revealed to be in the box that has been part of “Raw” and “SmackDown” storylines in recent weeks.
The reveal of the eccentric goth character was met with confusion from fans. On the surface, he doesn’t look very special with his small frame and unusual face paint. But you have to see Danhausen’s antics to comprehend why he became a fan favorite on the independent wrestling scene. His theatrical sense of humor is an acquired taste, and WWE will be tasked with connecting him with their fans. Nothing about Danhausen is straightforward, and everything is tongue-in-cheek. He’s called himself “Conan O’Brien possessed by a demon” in interviews, and that is a pretty accurate description of the wrestler who is known to break out the Pee-wee Herman dance in the middle of a match. You may not understand him now, but Danhausen is in the perfect place to accentuate his character. Give it time, people.
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