Aces down Fever in deciding Game 3 showdown, advance to semis behind 36-point A'ja Wilson masterclass

The officials called a loose ball foul on Kelsey Mitchell, which was initially reviewed for an upgrade. The Fever are now challenging the play as it appeared Chelsea Gray may have pulled Mitchell's arm. The challenge was unsuccessful, however, as the officials deemed Mitchell to have made contact on Gray first

Caitlin Clark just took an elbow to the face from Jewell Loyd and immediately went back to the locker room. She immediately returned to action after a timeout, however, with blood in her mouth. There was no review on the play because there was no whistle

A'ja Wilson just picked up her fifth foul -- the first time in her career she's had more than four fouls in a playoff game -- and then Monique Billings picked off a pass and found Kelsey Mitchell for a fastbreak layup to make it a five-point game with 3:43 left. Somehow, the Fever are still hanging around

The Fever scored 31 points and shot 13 of 24 in the first quarter. Since then they have 39 points on 13 of 42. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are a combined 10 of 31 and have missed a number of good looks, and they're just 7 of 26 from 3-point range as a team. They're still within striking distance, but it doesn't seem like they have enough gas in the tank to pull off a comeback here

A'ja Wilson took over the early portion of the third quarter to help the Aces build a 12-point lead, and it seemed for a moment like they were going to pull away. However, the Fever were able to stem the tide and have cut the deficit down to five entering the fourth. With 10 minutes to play, either team could take this one, though you'd have to favor the Aces. 

Wilson is up to 29 points on 10 of 15 from the field, while Jackie Young has 12 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell have really cooled off since a strong start and are now both 5 of 14 from the field. 

A'ja Wilson was not at her best in Game 2, but she's been unbelievable tonight. She's scored the last seven points for the Aces to push their lead up to 10 in the middle of the third quarter, and now has 28 points on 10 of 12 from the field. Her playoff career-high is 38 points, which she tied in Game 1. 

Notably, she's 2 of 3 from 3-point range and has made just one shot at the rim. The Fever took the ball out of her hands at every opportunity in Game 2, but it's much tougher to do so when she's operating on the perimeter. 

The Aces controlled the second quarter, turning an early eight-point deficit into a six-point lead at the break. Neither team had much going offensively in the second after a blistering start -- the Fever shot 5 of 18 and the Aces shot 6 of 16 -- but the Aces have made four more free throws, which is almost exactly the difference in the game. 

A'ja Wilson is up to 21 points on 7 of 8 from the field in a stellar response to a lackluster Game 2. Caitlin Clark has 13 points and four assists to lead the Fever, but has cooled off after the opening minutes. 

Winner-take-all playoff games are often decided not by the superstars, but which role players step up. Thus far, it's been Myisha Hines-Allen. The veteran forward has taken over the game in the second quarter with eight consecutive points for the Fever to draw them back level. She's in the game for her physicality and energy; getting eight points from her is just a bonus for Indiana. 

This game remains extremely frantic and physical, but the shots aren't falling for either team in the second quarter. Both teams are just 1 of 6 from the field, but the Aces have gotten to the line to take a three-point lead. On that front, the Aces are already 8 of 12 from the line, while the Fever are just 2 of 4. 

Both teams have come ready to play in what has been a fast-paced, action-packed start. With Caitlin Clark leading the way, the Fever jumped out to an early eight-point lead, but the Aces came storming back to go in front late in the frame before Sophie Cunningham scored just before the buzzer to bring us back to even. 

Clark has made three 3-pointers for 11 points and two assists, while A'ja Wilson has 14 points on a perfect 5 of 5 to lead the Aces. This is what it's all about. Let's hope the next three quarters are just as fun. 

Caitlin Clark has picked up right where she left off in Game 2. She drained a late-shot-clock 3-pointer over Jewell Loyd and is already up to eight points and two assists on 3 of 4 from the field. However, she does have to be careful the rest of the way after picking up an early technical. Brianna Turner tried to invade the Fever's huddle and Clark pushed her away. After a review, the officials could a double technical, which seemed a bit unnecessary. 

Thanks to Clark, the Fever have jumped out to a 20-15 lead mid-way through the first quarter.

Stephanie Talbot (left leg) has indeed been ruled out for Game 3, which is a big blow for the Aces. Veteran Jewell Loyd will step into the starting lineup for the Aces. 

Aces forward Stephanie Talbot popped up on the injury report ahead of Game 3 with a left leg injury. She has officially been listed as questionable, and Aces coach Becky Hammon told reporters that Talbot will be a game-time decision. 

It's unclear when Talbot, the Aces' starting small forward, was injured. She played 28 minutes in Game 2 and was on the floor until the Aces waved the white flag in the final minute. 

While Talbot doesn't put up huge numbers, she's been playing very well since the World Cup. In this series, she has taken the Caitlin Clark matchup and given the Fever star a bit of trouble at times with her size. If Talbot cannot go, the Aces would likely move Jewell Loyd into the starting lineup, which would make them much smaller and further weaken their depth. Hammon has primarily been going with a seven-player rotation in this series as it is.