Las Vegas Aces heart A’ja Wilson reacts after her group known as for a foul through the second half of a WNBA Semifinal basketball recreation in opposition to the New York Liberty, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photograph/Ian Maule)
LAS VEGAS— Becky Hammon wasn’t fairly able to look forward, Sunday’s 76-62 loss to the Liberty that ended the Aces’ season within the WNBA semifinals nonetheless too contemporary in her head.
However she acknowledged if Las Vegas was to return to championship type, the group couldn’t sit nonetheless.
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“We’ve by no means finished exit conferences,” mentioned Hammon, who simply accomplished her third season however first with out the league title. “We’ve finished exit partying. So we’re going to must get collectively and determine it out, however clearly we’ve got to get higher. We’ve got to actually take a pointy have a look at ourselves within the mirror, see our shortcomings.
“You’ve acquired to make the strikes mandatory, no matter meaning, to place (out) one of the best product we presumably can. It’s not going to be the identical group most likely subsequent yr. It simply gained’t. And I’m unhappy about that as a result of I actually like that group.”
READ: WNBA: Aces headed residence after shedding two in New York
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New York used the Aces as motivation to be the group that holds the trophy aloft at season’s finish, and it was Las Vegas that did simply that on the Liberty’s ground final yr.
Now the roles are reversed, and Hammon spent a lot of this season lamenting that her group didn’t play with the identical edge that helped it change into the primary membership for the reason that Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02 to win back-to-back championships.
She made the purpose Sunday that she anticipated this loss would gas her group’s starvation to return to the highest.
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon indicators to her group throughout a WNBA basketball semifinal recreation in opposition to New York Liberty Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photograph/Ronda Churchill)
However it’s about greater than grit, and the Liberty uncovered the Aces up entrance. A’ja Wilson was named MVP for the third time, however she wanted assist to deal with the likes of a Liberty frontcourt that features Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. Each gamers mixed for 33 factors and 20 rebounds on Sunday.
The Aces, nevertheless, additionally obtained inconsistent play from their backcourt, which wasn’t helped as level guard Chelsea Grey wanted time to work her method again from a foot damage suffered in final yr’s WNBA Finals. She had her moments in Recreation 4 with six assists and scored seven factors.
Jackie Younger made simply one among 10 photographs and Kelsey Plum was 5 of 16.
READ: Solar, Lynx conflict with journey to WNBA Finals on line
New York, in contrast, really shot larger from the 3-point arc (41.7%) within the deciding recreation than total (39.4%).
Hammon might solely marvel that the Liberty adopted the Aces’ script of spreading the ground and taking pictures 3-pointers in bunches.
“We’ve modified the best way this league performs,” Hammon mentioned. “That’s one thing that our group will be pleased with. We sped it up and spaced it out. I feel it’s been nice for our recreation.”
Now the Aces will head into the offseason with loads to consider, from administration to the coaches to the gamers.
They not are the goal for everybody else. That can belong to whichever groups succeeds the Aces as champions.
Hammon should, in the end, deal with exit interviews.
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“Three-peats are onerous,” Wilson mentioned. “They’re onerous as hell. However I feel this yr set the tone for us about how we need to deal with issues.”
