Chelsea Gray’s Buzzer-Beaters Propel Las Vegas Aces Past Indiana Fever in Overtime Thriller

INDIANAPOLIS — Chelsea Gray delivered two clutch buzzer-beating three-pointers to secure an 86-84 overtime victory for the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces over the Indiana Fever on Thursday night. Gray’s first three-pointer forced overtime after Caitlin Clark missed two critical free throws with seven seconds remaining in regulation while Indiana held a three-point lead. Gray’s second buzzer-beater in overtime gave the Aces the winning margin.

Clark, who finished with 20 points and eight assists, also committed eight turnovers and lost possession with seven seconds left in overtime while the Fever led by one point. Her missed free throws and late turnover proved costly for Indiana in a tightly contested game.

A’ja Wilson contributed a double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds, including a pivotal defensive stop against Clark that set up Gray’s game-winning shot. Jackie Young added 22 points, highlighted by a franchise-record streak of 15 consecutive points spanning the end of the first half and start of the second. Gray finished with 11 points, connecting on three three-pointers overall.

The Aces overcame a significant 20-point deficit in the first half and rallied from a three-point deficit at the end of regulation and a two-point deficit in overtime to claim the victory. This win allowed Las Vegas to take the season series against Indiana 2-1.

Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 28 points but missed a crucial free throw late in regulation prior to Clark’s missed attempts. Aliyah Boston also posted a strong performance with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Las Vegas cut into their large early deficit by closing the first half on a 15-0 run, reducing Indiana’s 42-22 lead to 42-37 at halftime. Young scored the final 13 points of the half, opened the second half with the first basket, and added five of the first seven points in the third quarter to give the Aces a 44-42 lead.

Indiana regained momentum midway through the fourth quarter, rallying from a 64-55 deficit with just over six minutes remaining to take a 75-72 lead. Gray’s first buzzer-beater came at the end of this quarter to tie the game and send it into overtime. She then repeated the feat in overtime, hitting a three-pointer to erase an 86-84 deficit. Both shots were reviewed and confirmed after replay.

The game experienced a disruption in the third quarter when security escorted a woman sitting in the front row opposite the Aces bench out of the arena through a tunnel. Minutes later, she was allowed to return to her seat, but two men seated nearby were removed. The Fever later issued a statement clarifying that one fan was removed but chose not to return after it was determined no fan conduct policy was violated. Jackie Young mentioned that someone had been verbally taunting players throughout the game and believed the situation escalated at that point, though she declined to provide further details.