The Las Vegas Aces evened their semifinal series against the Indiana Fever with a 90–68 victory. But head coach Becky Hammon’s post-game comments made just as much noise as her team’s performance.
Frustrated by the way the games have been called, Hammon didn’t hold back when asked about the physical tone of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
Becky Hammon Slams WNBA’s “Out of Control” Physicality
Speaking to reporters after Game 2, Hammon compared the level of contact in the series to what would spark confrontations in the NBA.
“The physicality is out of control, that’s for sure,” Hammon said. “You can bump and grab a receiver in the NFL for those first five yards, but in the W, you can do it for the whole half court. You put two hands on somebody like that, it should be an automatic foul. Freedom of movement? There’s no freedom.”
Hammon added that her assistants with NBA backgrounds confirmed the issue: “Most of my assistants come from the NBA, and they’re like, ‘This would not fly in the NBA. There would be fights.’ We just have very well-mannered women that can get to the next play.”
Becky Hammon weighed in on the physicality in the Fever-Aces series after Las Vegas evened up its semifinal matchup with Indiana 👀 pic.twitter.com/EPq5zOyR9n
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 24, 2025
Game 2 saw 41 total fouls, 22 against the Aces, 19 against the Fever, and 36 free throws. Despite that high number, Hammon insisted referees still let too much go.
Indiana Fever Pushes Back With Their Own Concerns
The Fever shared a different perspective following the loss. Head coach Stephanie White argued the frequent whistles broke the game’s rhythm. “It’s hard for us to find flow when there’s a foul called every 10 seconds,” she said, noting that her team attempted just 15 free throws compared to Las Vegas’ 21.
Even the Fever squad echoed a similar theme of bruising and the stop-and-start contest. Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston noted that the Fever had to match the Aces’ physicality on both ends.
Hull said, “It feels like a physical game every game, it feels like it’s been a physical season, but yes, I feel like I’ve been on the ground a little bit more this series so far. But we just keep getting back up.”
On the other hand, Boston added, “It looks honestly by some of the fouls and the way it was going, it looks like we were almost too physical. But at the same time, I feel like we have to be able to get that on the other end.”
Players echoed the theme of a bruising, stop-and-start contest. Guard Lexie Hull admitted she’s “been on the ground a little bit more this series so far,” while star forward Aliyah Boston said the Fever felt they had to match the Aces’ physicality on both ends.
With the matchup tied at one apiece, the focus now shifts to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4. Both teams expect the intensity to rise further. Still, Hammon’s pointed critique places added pressure on officials to find the right balance between letting players compete and keeping the game under control.
