If you remember the Las Vegas Aces’ loss to the Liberty post-Olympic break last year, you probably also remember the “pounding” Becky Hammon delivered in its aftermath. Because, as it turned out, despite her pep talks, the Aces looked like they had collectively unplugged their basketball IQs. It was a game where it seemed like they considered movement optional, and thought confusion was mandatory. As Hammon put it at the time: “It was multiple people just dribbling, and us standing and staring at that person dribble in place.” She didn’t sugarcoat it either, telling her players bluntly they weren’t “going anywhere with that.”
Fast forward to the 2025 season opener: a fresh start, a clean slate… and still no win against New York. MVP A’ja Wilson was honest after the loss, saying, “I think it was a lot on us. Like, don’t get it twisted—New York is going to be New York. They’re a great team. But a lot of things we did were self-inflicted, and that’s what really hurts the most. But we’ve got another game at it. It’s just the beginning.” So, for a brief moment, it looked like the Aces had finally gotten rid of those issues as they went on to snag wins in their next two games. But then came Sunday night. They dropped their second loss of the season, and Coach Hammon had to bring back her avatar after shocking moments of silence. Because apparently, some lessons just need to be pounded in twice.
And it all happened as the 10,000 fans at Climate Pledge Arena were giving a warm welcome to former player Jewell Loyd. But the bigger story, as you might have guessed already? The Seattle Storm crushed the Las Vegas Aces 102-82 on May 25. Now, this loss leaves the Aces with a 2-2 record to start the season, and it’s the first time since 2021 that Las Vegas doesn’t have a winning record after four games. Seattle dominated, leading by as much as 27 points. And this was only the third time the Aces lost by 20 or more points during Becky Hammon’s four seasons as coach.
So, understandably, the head coach looked clearly frustrated during the post-game conference. She didn’t hold back on what went wrong for the Aces. She said, “Undisciplined. The effort wasn’t there. The discipline wasn’t there. We’re breaking our own rules. So until the system is run correctly, it’s really hard to make adjustments because you don’t know if plan A is going to work.”
Yes—and that’s exactly what worked for the Storm. Their game was smooth and balanced, with five players scoring in double digits and seven putting up at least eight points. While many of their players had standout moments, it was really their teamwork that made the biggest difference. They moved the ball well, found open shooters, and kept the offense flowing, further ending the game with 32 assists, marking the third-most in the franchise’s history. They hit 60% of their shots (42-of-70) and 50% from three-point range (8-of-16).
But that’s not all; their defense held strong, too. They kept the Aces to just 44% shooting (29-of-66) and 36% from deep (9-of-25) while also dominating the boards 34-25. Their frontcourt was especially strong, scoring 52 points in the paint compared to the Aces’ 38. They also sped ahead in transition, beating the Aces 24-10 in fast breaks. Even the bench stepped up, scoring 36 points to Las Vegas’ 31. At one point, Seattle even led by as many as 27.
The 2020 WNBA Finals sweep? Yeah, this was easily Seattle’s best performance against the Aces since then.
As for the Aces, they again looked confused and could not find their rhythm as a team on both ends of the floor. Furthermore, A’ja Wilson’s performance fell short of MVP standards as she finished with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Yes, it is a decent stat line, but then, it is Wilson, and expectations were high.
When it came to adjustments, Coach Becky made a key move in the second half. She benched starting center Kiah Stokes, who hasn’t scored yet in her first four games this season, for the majority of the second half. In her place came 2024 second-round pick Elizabeth Kitley. The center finished with 11 points, the fourth-highest on the Aces. She also scored six straight points in the paint after coming in. Could this be a sign of things to come for A’ja Wilson and co? Time will tell.
Losing to the Storm in such a tough way was hard enough. But for former Storm guard Jewell Loyd, coming back home after eight years only to see that kind of loss made it even worse. A’ja Wilson had some thoughts about the defeat, especially with Loyd in the mix.
A’ja Wilson reacts to the loss as Loyd makes an emotional return home
Before the game, Seattle played a heartfelt tribute video for Loyd. The guard got emotional but tried to stay focused. “I watched some bits and pieces … but I really tried to focus on the game as much as possible and not get too emotional here or there,” Loyd said. “But I appreciate it.”
She finished with 14 points, nailed four of her five shot attempts, and went 3-3 FG from beyond the arc. So, with the loss, it certainly did not become the night she was hoping for, especially after starting strong with her first 12 points in the first quarter. This stung A’ja Wilson as well, and she shared her thoughts following the loss. “I’m not gonna hang my head too low about this,” she said. “Yes, it su-ks. Obviously, I wanted to win for Jewell and everyone else that came out and supported us, but it’s a part of the game.”
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) celebrates after scoring in the fourth quarter against the New York Liberty during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Aces haven’t had the best of starts and certainly don’t look like serious contenders just yet. But hey, it’s still early in the season. Things can turn around fast in the league. So, don’t count out A’ja Wilson and co just yet. They might surprise everyone soon!
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