On a night the Las Vegas Aces were supposed to celebrate A’ja Wilson’s MVP title, they instead faced a disastrous performance and the utter disappointment of their own head coach, Becky Hammon. The Indiana Fever, once again, proved they are a formidable opponent, handing the defending champions a “humiliating” loss on their home court. This wasn’t just a sports defeat; it was a harsh wake-up call, exposing alarming flaws in the Aces’ roster and strategy, while raising major questions about their ability to perform under pressure.

“It looked like Becky Hammon is not happy with A’ja Wilson for her lack of performance in this first game,” the commentator began, with a mix of humor and disbelief. Indeed, while all the bells and whistles were out to honor Wilson as MVP, her on-court performance was the exact opposite. “She played horribly bad,” the commentator stated bluntly. This became even more ironic as the Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell, a potential MVP candidate herself, had an explosive performance, making the contrast between the two stars clearer than ever.

Kelsey Mitchell “Taught a Lesson” and A’ja Wilson’s Humiliation

The commentator didn’t hesitate to liken Mitchell’s performance to a “lesson” for Wilson: “Kelsey Mitchell went and got a belt from the locker room… she wrapped the belt around her hand and she gave A’ja Wilson a nice little whooping.” While metaphorical, the image captured Mitchell’s absolute dominance and the Fever’s overwhelming force, leaving the Aces stunned on their own court. Becky Hammon was clearly both embarrassed and furious about how her team lost.

In the post-game press conference, Coach Hammon didn’t hide her frustration. When asked about her team’s ability to handle games where Wilson isn’t dominant, she replied: “It’s not necessarily my level of concern… I know we’re capable, but not when we play like that. God forbid A’ja doesn’t drop 40 for us, but we had 12 assists tonight in 40 minutes and 12 turnovers.” These numbers paint a grim picture of the lack of cohesion in the Aces’ offense.

A Battered Defense and Stagnant Offense

The biggest problem, according to Hammon, lay in the team’s defense and ball movement. “You can start on the defensive end,” she said. “Clearly we had no answer for Mitchell, couldn’t even attempt to slow her down a little bit… I thought it was a really poor, really poor performance.” Mitchell scored 17 points in the first half alone and continued to stay “hot” throughout the game, leaving the Aces’ defense with no solution.

Hammon also pointed out her team’s missed opportunities. “The shots that rattled in and out and the layups that we missed… We missed at least nine, maybe 10 layups. I know we had about six or seven by halftime, and the trend continued.” These missed shots, according to Hammon, could have cost the Aces up to 20 points, completely changing the game’s outcome. The Aces’ problem wasn’t just that Wilson had a bad night; it was that the entire team failed to compensate for her individual struggles with collective play. “Our problem was on the defensive end, and then not moving the ball at all on the offensive end.”

Lack of Drive and Mutual Support

When asked why the team couldn’t slow Mitchell down, Hammon explained: “One, she made every freaking shot… she had a hot night, and we let her get going… You can’t ask any one person to guard her; it takes multiple actions and multiple bodies. But I thought in the second half, I just felt like our physicality and our pursuit was not there. We died on screens. You have to have second and third efforts, even if you might be beat, you still have to try hard to get back into the play, and I don’t think we tried hard in that category.”

This lack of physicality and chase is an alarming admission from a head coach about a team once known for its toughness and resolve. Even when Hammon tried new defensive adjustments, she didn’t see her team executing them consistently. When the Aces cut the lead to three points in the third quarter, instead of maintaining momentum, they let the Fever go on an 11-0 run, drowning the Aces’ hopes.

Players also acknowledged the issue. When asked about the game’s turning point, an Aces player said: “Honestly, we were in the huddle talking about how we didn’t really have a pep to us. You saw the pace they were playing at, the pep they had in their step, and we just didn’t have that today.” Another player emphasized the need to “lock in in those last few minutes and get stops” and to “just trust the process, buy into what the coaches are telling us, and play hard on the defensive end.”

Over-reliance on ISO and Fan Disappointment

The over-reliance on isolation (ISO) offense was also brought up as a weakness. When Wilson struggled, her teammates felt they needed to “be better for her… she deals with a lot, like getting double-teamed, triple-teamed. We have to take some pressure off her. We have to be better and get her easier looks. Everything can’t be an ISO for her. We have to get her some catch and shoots, some pick-and-pops… just kind of get her going.”

This comment suggests that the Aces’ strategy is overly dependent on Wilson and lacks diversity, especially when she has an off night. At the same time, the lack of ball movement and easy shots for the guards was also a problem.

This loss is a significant blow to the Las Vegas Aces, not just because it was a home defeat but because it happened on what was supposed to be a day of celebration. It exposed several core issues that Coach Hammon and the team will have to address quickly if they want to continue their championship defense. The lack of defensive cohesion, offensive stagnation when Wilson can’t carry the load, and a lack of fighting spirit in crucial moments are simply unacceptable for a team of their caliber. The pressure is now squarely on the champions, and how they respond to this defeat will shape the rest of their season.