The Las Vegas Aces were supposed to have the WNBA semifinals series wrapped up by now. Riding a 16-game winning streak into the playoffs, fresh off sweeping the Seattle Storm in round 1, and powered by MVP A’ja Wilson, the two-time WNBA champs looked ready to cruise past a banged-up Indiana Fever squad.
Instead, Game 4 of the semifinals turned into a nightmare in Indianapolis, where whistles, foul trouble, and free throws became the biggest story of the night, and Aces’ coach Becky Hammon wasn’t having it.
Why Did Coach Becky Hammon Point to Free Throw Disparity After Game 4 Loss?
The Fever’s 90–83 win on September 28 evened the semifinal series at 2–2, leaving the Aces with no choice but to play a winner-take-all Game 5 in Las Vegas. Wilson did her part with 31 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, but the numbers that stuck with Hammon had nothing to do with the box score’s scoring column.
When asked about the game flow, Hammon bluntly pointed out the foul disparity that went against the Aces.
“They shot 34 free throws, we shot 11,” Hammon said flatly after the game. “That’s the game.”
Becky Hammon on the officiating today:
“They shot 34 FTs and we shot 11. Next question” pic.twitter.com/S4spGG2fKJ
— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) September 28, 2025
The foul count told the same story: Jackie Young, NaLyssa Smith, and Chelsea Gray all racked up five fouls. Megan Gustafson added four off the bench. Indiana capitalized, hitting 26 of their 34 attempts from the line. The Aces? Just 8-for-11.
Even Wilson, the newly crowned MVP, echoed her coach’s frustration when she stared down the box score in the presser. “I was just looking at the fouls,” she said. “Lyss had 5, Jackie had 5, Chelsea had 5. That’s very interesting to me.”
Her words mirrored the frustration that has followed teams across the league this season, where officiating has become as much a storyline as the games themselves.
Hammon’s Aces Face Win-Or-Go-Home Pressure Amid Officiating Chatter
The officiating conversation has shadowed nearly every corner of these playoffs, with coaches across the league voicing displeasure. For Hammon and the Aces, the timing couldn’t be worse. After appearing to seize control of the series with back-to-back wins, Las Vegas now finds itself fighting to avoid a semifinal collapse.
The Fever, meanwhile, have already proven capable of springing surprises, first with a shocking Game 1 win and now with a whistle-aided Game 4 victory that kept their season alive. The Aces’ commanding regular-season run means little if they can’t close out the Fever at home.
On Tuesday night (September 30) at Michelob ULTRA Arena, Hammon’s squad will have one final chance to punch their ticket to their fourth WNBA Finals since 2020.
