Hammon Benches Aces Stars in Nationally Televised Game, Citing Player Health Concerns

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon opted to sit four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young during Sunday’s nationally televised matchup against the New York Liberty in Brooklyn, replacing them with Jewell Loyd, Dana Evans and Brianna Turner. The three benched players did not enter the game at all, remaining on the sideline as the Liberty dominated 111-71 at Barclays Center.

Hammon’s decision appeared to protest the demanding back-to-back road schedule, with the Aces having played Minnesota on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET before facing New York less than 36 hours later at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Wilson, Young and Gray all logged heavy minutes the previous day, with Wilson and Young each playing 33 minutes and Gray appearing for 36 minutes in the 98-87 loss to the Lynx.

The coach defended her load management strategy after the game, emphasizing that player welfare superseded the significance of the matchup. “The health and safety of players comes first,” Hammon said. “Not going to put players in any kind of jeopardy to get hurt when we’ve been expending a lot of energy and traveling a lot of miles back and forth.”

The 2023 collective bargaining agreement requires the WNBA to make “reasonable and good faith efforts” to provide at least 20 hours between consecutive games, though league guidelines recommend 22 hours for back-to-backs with limited travel. Hammon’s decision signals potential frustration with scheduling demands, even when meetings minimum standards and games receive national television coverage.