Aces coach Becky Hammon benches 3 starters in what looks like WNBA scheduling protest in national TV game

It was a nationally televised WNBA matchup betwixt the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty connected Sunday day successful Brooklyn, a conflict of 2 title hopefuls.

But Aces caput manager Becky Hammon had a starting 5 cipher expected, and it could beryllium viewed arsenic a protestation for having to play back-to-back games connected the roadworthy this weekend.

Hammon didn’t play four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray oregon Jackie Young – 3 accustomed Aces starters – with Jewell Loyd, Dana Evans and Brianna Turner taking their spots instead. It wasn’t conscionable for the commencement of the crippled either, arsenic each 3 of those players didn’t measurement ft connected the tribunal different than to cheer their teammates on.

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Becky Hammon, caput manager of the Las Vegas Aces, looks connected against the New York Liberty during their crippled astatine Barclays Center successful Brooklyn, N.Y., connected Aug. 9, 2026. (Getty Images)

For a nationally televised ABC crippled against a rival, it was a funny determination by Hammon, but the load absorption determination is 1 that she defended pursuing a 111-71 rout by the Liberty connected their location Barclays Center court.

"The wellness and information of players comes first," Hammon said, per Yahoo Sports. "Wherever we extremity up, we extremity up, and we’ll play immoderate manus is dealt to us. To me, this was a conscionable a bigger representation benignant (of) scenario, truthful you instrumentality the ‘L,’ knowing that it pays dividends connected the backmost end."

The Aces fell to the Minnesota Lynx, 98-87, connected Saturday, wherever Wilson (33 minutes), Young (33) and Gray (36) each played their accustomed workloads.

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But the abbreviated turnaround, particularly connected the road, led Hammon to beryllium her stars. And nationalist TV crippled oregon not, it was a determination she apt would’ve done considering her stance.

"Not going to enactment (players) successful immoderate benignant of jeopardy to get wounded erstwhile we’ve been expending a batch of vigor and traveling a batch of miles backmost and forth, crisscrossing the country," Hammon said arsenic she continued defending her decision.

"It is what it is. I cognize these are large matchups, and these are what radical privation to see, but you should guarantee that it’s fair."

As per the WNBA’s caller corporate bargaining agreement, which was agreed upon by some the league and subordinate earlier the commencement of this season, has connection stating the league volition "make tenable and bully religion efforts" to supply astatine slightest 20 hours betwixt the scheduled commencement of a team’s archetypal crippled of a back-to-back and the scheduled commencement of its 2nd game.

Head manager Becky Hammon of the Las Vegas Aces looks connected during a crippled against the Minnesota Lynx connected Aug. 8, 2026, astatine Target Center successful Minneapolis, Minn. (NBAE via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the WNBA has a line that gives teams a minimum of 22 hours betwixt back-to-back games, wherever question mustn’t beryllium much than 1 clip zone. It’s akin to what the NBA does during its ain schedule.

For this play back-to-back, the Aces tipped disconnected connected Saturday astatine 1 p.m. ET, and they were slated for Sunday’s crippled astatine 12:30 p.m. ET. Also, the Lynx played their 2nd crippled of a back-to-back themselves connected Saturday afternoon, but some games were astatine location arsenic they played the Dallas Wings astatine 3:30 p.m. ET.

The Liberty evidently didn’t caput not facing cardinal starters for the Aces successful what was an casual victory, but adjacent Jonquel Jones couldn’t blasted Hammon for reasoning astir the future.

"Obviously, they person to bash what’s close for their team," she said, via Yahoo Sports. "They person to bash what’s close for their bodies. But arsenic competitors, we truly wanted to lucifer up against them."

The WNBA docket volition lone turn arsenic the seasons proceed and its popularity expands. Next season, determination volition beryllium a 50-game slate for the archetypal clip successful league past – up six games from 2026.

Becky Hammon, caput manager of the Las Vegas Aces, looks connected against the New York Liberty during their crippled astatine Barclays Center successful Brooklyn, N.Y., connected Aug. 9, 2026. (Getty Images)

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But what Hammon did connected Sunday day successful Brooklyn could beryllium much than conscionable focusing connected her team’s wellness and information moving guardant with important games near to play person to a playoff push.

Perhaps this was her mode of telling the WNBA that, portion it fell wrong the line of a minimum of 22 hours betwixt games, she doesn’t attraction if the crippled is connected nationalist TV oregon not.

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