From the moment the Indiana Fever walked into their semifinal series against the Las Vegas Aces, the biggest question looming over every game and every preparation has been: how do you limit a player who defines dominance?
For coach Stephanie White, the answer is not in containment, but in disruption.
White was candid last week in her September 20 comments to the media about what the Fever must do to slow reigning MVP A’ja Wilson.
“Look, she’s just special,” White said. “She’s convicted, she works her tail off, she understands what it takes … She’s one of the best players in the world, and there’s a reason.”
Yet even White acknowledges the harsh truth: Wilson will get her. “Great players are gonna find ways to do what they do. You just have to try to make it as challenging as you possibly can. Make them earn it. Nothing easy, don’t bail them out, make her earn it. And then when they do, you live with it.”
After their recent defeat on Friday, White admits that Wilson and the Aces continue to be a wall for the Fever to overcome.
“Look, A’ja’s gonna find hers. There’s no doubt about it. They have five Olympians on their team, so you’ve got to play them all honest,” she said in the Fever‘s media availability after the game.
A blueprint to make a legend fight for everything
The central theme of White‘s approach is forcing Wilson into the uncomfortable spaces of the Las Vegas offense.
Rather than walling her off entirely, the Fever aim to push her off balance , make her pass out, frustrate the flow, challenge her movement and decision-making.
White‘s wording is revealing: “make things difficult … make her earn it.” That suggests Indiana will contest mid-range opportunities, deny easy post touches, and refuse to provide clean passing lanes or weak-side help without accountability.
It’s not just about stopping Wilson in a vacuum; Indiana understands the danger she brings in both scoring and momentum.
If the Fever let Wilson roam freely, every swing of the series tilts in Vegas‘s favor. But by drawing her into overexertion or forcing contested looks, Indiana might bend the Aces‘ rhythm.
White knows there’s a delicate balance to strike: too much resistance in the wrong moment invites disaster; too little, and Wilson simply takes over. There is no foolproof plan. But there is a chance to make the game ugly.
Even in a relative off night in Friday’s Game 3 (13 points on 6-of-20 shooting), Wilson‘s presence remained pivotal.
White‘s expectation is that the Aces star will still assert her impact. And when she does, Indiana must live with it, but make her pay for it every time.
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