A’ja Wilson came back from a leg injury that kept her out three games, and she looked like she hadn’t missed a beat. Thirty-two points, ten rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks. The Las Vegas Aces needed all of it to beat the Portland Fire 88-80 at Moda Center on Thursday night.
The win pushed the Aces to 16-6 overall and 10-2 on the road. That ties them with the Minnesota Lynx for the best record in the league. And it locked up something else: Aces coach Becky Hammon will join Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve on the sidelines at the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
League rules pick the coaches from the top two teams in the standings, no conferences involved. So Hammon is headed back to the midseason showcase for the third time. She ran the show in 2022 and 2023 too.
Fans are already talking about the Hammon-Reeve matchup
Social media generally liked the pairing. One fan said they were the only acceptable choices. Another called them two elite minds and said the All-Star Game is in great hands. Somebody else flat-out called both of them the best coaches in the league.
One fan wanted to see Hammon yelling at refs and players, said it makes them happy. Another joked that Chicago better lock down the pizza because Hammon’s bringing the heat.
Reeve will be making her fifth All-Star appearance as a coach. So it’s not exactly unfamiliar territory for her either.
There’s a new wrinkle to the draft this year
Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon will act as general managers and draft the two teams themselves. That’s a change from previous years. Should make for some interesting roster decisions.
As for Hammon, she recently made headlines with a stern message about the Aces releasing Chennedy Carter. But now the focus shifts to Chicago. She’ll likely want Wilson and Jackie Young on her team. Or maybe not. Knowing how competitive Hammon is, she might prefer coaching against her own players. That would certainly make things more interesting.
Either way, the All-Star Game is shaping up to be a showdown between two of the league’s sharpest minds. And Wilson’s return just makes the Aces that much more dangerous heading into the second half.
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