A’ja Wilson’s Reaction to Caitlin Clark-Less Fever Beating 3rd Place Atlanta Dream Goes Viral

Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever will next face A'ja Wilson and her dominant Las Vegas Aces in the 2nd round of playoffs.

A’ja Wilson’s Reaction to Caitlin Clark-Less Fever Beating 3rd Place Atlanta Dream Goes Viral

A'ja Wilson was surprised injury-plagued Indiana Fever will play them in semifinals (Image via FirstSportz)

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If Caitlin Clark and her four other teammates were healthy, the Indiana Fever would have been battling the likes of A’ja Wilson and her Las Vegas Aces for a chance to fight for the championship.

Hopes of that happening quickly vanished after firstly, the star point guard struggled with injuries, and her return was a major question mark. Then the season-ending injuries to four important players ultimately saw no one picking them to win either of their 1st two games.

After a disappointing and controversial Game 1, they stormed back to win Game 2 in style. Despite that win, many felt it was a one-off instance, and those analysts, fans, and the rest of the WNBA felt that the 3rd-placed Atlanta Dream would do what is expected in Game 3.

A’ja Wilson and her Aces were also expected to win easily against the Seattle Storm at home. The game was anything but a free run, and it needed the 3-time league MVP to score 38 points to keep them in the lead.

After the game, ESPN’s Vanessa Richardson caught up with the Paris Olympics MVP and asked her what mindset the Aces would be in when they take on the Indiana Fever in the semifinals.

Uh… Oh, they… Oh… I didn’t even see the game.

A’ja Wilson replied

Her answer went viral, as the Aces star’s stuttering reply makes it clear she did not expect the short-handed Fever to beat the 3rd placed Atlanta Dream. Wilson was expecting to play her best friend, Allisha Gray, and the Dream, but now has to draw up new game plans along with her teammates.

Fever’s team-first approach could be a tough task for the Aces

When the Indiana Fever assembled a star-studded roster around Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell, the idea was that the star power would lead them to a championship.

A few weeks into the 2025 season, that plan became moot after Clark and the other 4 suffered injuries. The Fever were left to rely on short-term contract players, who did not even have enough time to get accustomed to their playbook.

However, head coach Stephanie White tossed that playbook and went with simple schemes. She stressed the importance of effort and defense, and that has led them to hand the Atlanta Dream a stunning upset.

Their collective effort was evident in the final minutes of the 4th quarter, when the home team threatened to run away with the game. The team collectively came back in style.

Every player on the floor in the final 6 minutes was either scoring, assisting, defending, or helping to create an impactful play. That pursuit of the collective goal has made them a team-first roster.

A’ja Wilson and her Las Vegas Aces are not accustomed to playing against such opponents, as most of their playoff battles have been against star-studded teams. This could become a headache for them when the Fever rolls into Sin City.

Caitlin Clark has been Fever’s best cheerleader

Ever since Caitlin Clark was sidelined with a right groin injury, she has made it a point to be at every single game, cheering her teammates on. Despite shutting down any chances of her return, she has maintained that.

Injured Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham cheering on the Fever
Injured Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham cheering on the Fever (Image via Grace Smith/X)

The 23-year-old has been the team’s biggest cheerleader on the bench. She celebrates every positive play, while also arguing with officials and opposing players when necessary. After this monumental win, Caitlin Clark tweeted these two posts.

FEVVVVVVV SHOOWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!
STEPHANIE WHITE !!!!!!!!!!!

Caitlin Clark tweets on X

The first line was when her Fever displayed no lack of motivation and battled the Atlanta Dream on every play. The second was after her head coach, Stephanie White, drew up game plans that led them to score a famous win.

Now, Caitlin Clark will continue her role as the team’s primary cheerleader when they travel to Las Vegas. She has also roped in her injured teammates to be her co-cheerleaders, as they look to continue their playoff journey.

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