The Dallas Wings scored 50 second-half points on Thursday, erasing an eight-point halftime deficit and seizing a 95-87 victory over the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.
Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon wasn’t happy about her team’s defensive performance in Arlington, Texas — explaining that the Aces got off bodies, were late on actions and lacked the necessary physicality — but she also took issue with how the game was officiated.
“Most of the time, we like to play out of our defense, which we weren’t playing in. So that hurts us,” Hammon said, when asked about the lulls Las Vegas experienced on the offensive end in the second half as well.
Then Hammon pivoted, ending her news conference with a expletive-filled message about the game’s free-throw disparity: “A’ja Wilson shoots one free throw. Chennedy Carter, zero, Jackie Young, zero,” Hammon said. “I’m f***ing tired of that bulls***. I’m not saying they didn’t earn their 22 (free throws) down there. But when Awak Kuier shoots more free throws than A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young and Chennedy Carter all combined, that’s a problem.
“We’re not getting the same whistle. Give me my fine.”
Kuier, a Dallas forward who played 21 minutes off the bench, made all four of the shots she attempted at the charity stripe. As Hammon alluded to, Wilson, Young and Carter attempted just one free throw between the three of them. That belonged to Wilson, who went 10 of 24 from the field and clocked out with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. She got up at least six free throws in each of her previous five outings.
As a team, the Aces shot a mere 12 free throws on Thursday, 10 fewer than the Wings. So far this season, Las Vegas is tied for last in the WNBA with 18.3 free-throw attempts per game.
Hammon’s aired out similar grievances before. Last year during the postseason, she was one of the coaches fined for calling out the league’s officiating. Notably, Hammon backed longtime Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve after Reeve was ejected from Game 3 of the Lynx’s semifinals series against the Phoenix Mercury for berating an official and then suspended for Game 4 due to her postgame tirade about the W’s refs.
But, again, Hammon didn’t just have a bone to pick with the officials on Thursday. It was clear she was upset with her group’s effort defensively.
Wings forward Jessica Shepard collected her second triple-double of the season, this time starring with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. This year’s No. 1 overall pick, Dallas guard Azzi Fudd, made her first career start and also poured in 22 points, doing so on 9-of-15 shooting.
The Wings (5-3) have won four of their past five games. On the other hand, the Aces (4-3) have dropped back-to-back contests and currently rank fourth-to-last in the W in points per game allowed (88.6). Plus, the Aces are 10th out of the league’s 15 teams in defensive rating (106.9).
Hammon, who has led Las Vegas to three WNBA titles since taking over the reins in 2022, bluntly said the Aces’ defense “sucked” against the Wings.
“Until we want to play defense for 40 minutes, we’ll just continue to take these lumps on the chin,” Hammon said.
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