Becky Hammon and the Las Vegas Aces’ 2026 WNBA season is definitely not moving as planned. The defending champions are struggling with fourth-quarter defensive lapses and are learning the hard way that staying at the top is a grueling task.
The reigning three-time WNBA champions dropped their second consecutive game on Thursday at the College Park Center in Arlington against the Dallas Wings in a 95-87 clash. The defeat dropped the struggling squad to 4-3, placing them fifth in the Western Conference.
Becky Hammon Slams Officiating After Free Throw Whistle Disparity
The Aces actually controlled the game’s pace initially and built a 13-point lead. They went into halftime with a 53-45 lead, but the 8-point cushion evaporated in the second half when the Wings dropped 50 points and kept the victory at home, improving their record to 5-3.
After a disappointing loss against the Wings, the Aces’ head coach was anything but happy. Her frustration mainly stemmed from the visible gap between the free throws awarded to each team. The Aces committed 15 personal fouls and generated a mere 12 total free throw attempts as a team, while converting just 7.
“I’m f***in’ tired of that bullsh*t … give me my fine 😮
Becky Hammon was not happy about the free throw disparity in the Aces’ loss vs. the Wings.
📹: @NekiasNBA pic.twitter.com/yKFpMeRIlA
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 29, 2026
During the post-game press conference, a furious Hammon called out the inequality on the hardwood, stating, “I mean, A’ja Wilson shoots one free throw, Chennedy Carter zero, Jackie Young zero. I’m f***g tired of that bulls**t.”
“I’m not saying they (Dallas Wings) didn’t earn their 22 down there, but when Awak Kuier shoots more free throws than A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chennedy Carter all combined, that’s a problem. And we are not getting the same whistle. Give me my fine,” Hammon added.
While the whistles favored the home team, it impacted the Aces’ primary paint star, A’ja Wilson. The 2025 MVP spent 35 minutes on the floor and scored 21 points and 7 rebounds on 10-of-24 shooting.
Jackie Young logged 15 points and 7 assists. Off the bench, Chennedy Carter added 14 points on an efficient 6-of-11 night. Despite constantly attacking, the trio remained locked out of the foul line, having a combined total of 1 free throw.
The foul calls have been a recurring problem in the WNBA this season, disrupting not only a player’s flow but also the game as a whole. During the recent Fever vs. Valkyries, Aliyah Boston had four personal fouls called within 22 minutes, while two of them came in a span of 32 seconds.
With the Aces currently battling unexpected turbulence, they must quickly regroup and map an escape route before hitting the Chase Center on Sunday for their next road game against the Golden State Valkyries.
