Las Vegas Aces’ ‘crown is getting heavier’ in disappointing opening loss to Mercury
LAS VEGAS — The 2025 season was proof that the Las Vegas Aces, and this core in particular, know how to flip the switch. The Aces fell to . 500 with one month left in the season after a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx and then reeled off 16 consecutive wins en route to a third WNBA title in four seasons.
It’s not a habit coach Becky Hammon and her team would prefer to revert to. But Las Vegas is digging itself a hole to start the season, and the defense is the culprit. “I don’t want to repeat what we did last year.
That was not fun the first half of the season,” Hammon said Saturday. “That’s not how we want to come out. It’s not the standard.
It was unacceptable last year. It’s not acceptable this year. ” The Aces worked on their defense for about 90 minutes every day during training camp — Hammon even said pregame she thought they had a good focus in their final preseason practice — and showed no effects of that preparation in their season-opening 99-66 loss to Phoenix, a rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals.
Las Vegas gave up 83 points through three quarters, allowing the Mercury to shoot 53 percent before garbage time set in. A’ja Wilson had only four rebounds for the game and was unable to set the tone for her team’s physicality. It continues a bad stretch of defense that began during the preseason.