'We Had No Answer': Becky Hammon Owns Up After Kelsey Mitchell Powers Fever Past Aces On The Road

In a post-game interview , Becky Hammon acknowledged the loss, but also maintained that what happened is more of an exception rather than the rule.

“It’s not necessarily my level of concern,” Hammon said about the Aces. ” I know we’re capable, but not when we play like that.”

In particular, Hammon admitted that Kelsey Mithcell was one thing that they did not have an answer to.

“But you can start on the defensive end. I mean, clearly, we had no answer for Mitchell. Couldn’t even attempt to slow her down a little bit. I thought it was really poor,” she added. “We at least missed nine, maybe 10 [layups]. I know we had six or seven [misses] at halftime, and the trend kind of continued in the second half. So, I mean, that’s potentially 20 points on the board.”

The Indiana Fever seized control of the WNBA semifinal opener, knocking off top-seeded Las Vegas 89–73 in Game 1 on Sunday. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell carried Indiana’s balanced attack, pouring in a playoff-career high 34 points on 52.2 percent shooting, including four three-pointers.

Becky Hammon Gets Honest on A’ja Wilson “Co” Award

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon voiced her displeasure after star forward A’ja Wilson was named co-Defensive Player of the Year alongside Minnesota’s Alanna Smith, calling the tie “confusing” and lamenting that Wilson’s clear dominance seemed undervalued.

Speaking to reporters, Hammon quipped that choosing two winners felt like praising a white-tailed deer until an elk walks into the room, underscoring her belief that Wilson alone merited the honor.

“I guess I’m just confused by the ‘co.’ You, Napheesa, you guys said, was the best defensive player last year, and then now, she’s not. I mean, I don’t know,” said Hammon. “I’d love to make the voting public. I don’t know how it came to a tie, but apparently it did. To me, there’s no comparison. A white-tailed deer looks really good until an elk walks into the room.”

Hammon went further, challenging the consistency and transparency of the voting process. She pointed to last year’s award, when her own player Napheesa Collier was voted the league’s top defender, only to see a seemingly lesser candidate share the mantle with Wilson this season.

Becky Hammon started leading the team as its head coach since the 2022 season.