Becky Hammon’s Tuesday night took an early, wild turn. The Las Vegas Aces head coach was ejected in the second quarter of her team’s game against the Atlanta Dream, and it was a moment that perfectly captured the frustration boiling over in Sin City. She got upset about something, picked up a technical foul, and that just seemed to crank up her anger even more. She stormed onto the floor, earned herself a second technical, and then, boom, she was out.
What Set Her Off?
That double-technical happened during an empty offensive possession for the Dream, which probably made it all the more maddening. Hammon clearly appeared frustrated with a no-call or some other earlier play, and she made sure the officials knew about it. This whole outburst was just part of a really disappointing opening half for Las Vegas. They had a lead after the first quarter, but that evaporated fast, turning into an 11-point halftime deficit. Their defense just had no early answers for Atlanta’s trio of Angel Reese, Allisha Gray, and Jordin Canada. To make matters worse, the Dream cashed in on every single one of their 12 first-half free throws. When things go wrong, they really go wrong, huh?
Inconsistency Is Killing the Reigning Champs
The Aces came into Tuesday’s contest with a 24-12 record, putting them in solid playoff position, but let’s be real, they’ve been inconsistent lately. This ejection comes amidst a tough stretch where they’ve lost three of their previous five games. One of those was a brutal 40-point blowout defeat on the road against the New York Liberty. These recent struggles have dropped Las Vegas to fourth place in the crowded WNBA standings, and now they’re chasing the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. Becky Hammon is in her fifth season coaching the Aces, and under her, they’ve been the gold standard of the league, taking home three of the last four titles. You just don’t see this kind of frustration from a dynasty unless something’s really off.
The question now is, can Hammon’s Aces find that championship consistency again? They’ve been a powerhouse, but right now, they’re looking for answers. It’s on them to turn this slide around and remind everyone why they’ve been the team to beat for so long.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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