A’ja Wilson did not blame the missed shots, the schedule or Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon’s second-quarter ejection after Atlanta beat the Aces 97-82 on Tuesday. She blamed the effort.
“Just our effort,” Wilson said. “Our effort wasn’t there today.”
That mattered more than the final margin. Las Vegas tied a franchise record with 12 blocks, but the Aces also committed 17 turnovers, shot 40 percent and lost the paint 44-22.
Ejection fails to spark Aces
Hammon was ejected with 5:06 left in the second quarter after receiving back-to-back technical fouls. Atlanta led 33-29 at the time, made both technical free throws and then stretched the lead to 43-31 before Las Vegas could answer.
Assistant coach Charlene Thomas-Swinson took over the sideline and said Hammon believed Wilson had been fouled several times without getting the calls she wanted.
“She had asked for that a couple of times, and unfortunately, it just didn’t work in our favor,” Thomas-Swinson said.
Wilson was standing near Hammon during the exchange and thought the ejection should have energized the Aces.
“Obviously, we should have used that moment as a turning point,” Wilson said. “That should have given us enough juice and momentum to push.”
Instead, Atlanta won the quarter 28-16 and led 52-41 at halftime. Wilson also made clear the problems started before Hammon left.
“Even before she got kicked out, we just weren’t there,” Wilson said.
Blocks hide bigger problems
Las Vegas produced plenty of defensive plays, but not enough sustained defensive control. The Aces blocked 12 shots, tying the franchise single-game record, with Wilson getting four, NaLyssa Smith three and Chelsea Gray two.
Still, Atlanta kept getting into the paint. Thomas-Swinson pointed to Jordin Canada getting downhill and Angel Reese establishing deep position inside.
“Our challenge right now is just our lock-in factor defensively,” Thomas-Swinson said.
She said 18 of Reese’s 21 points came from “sheer duck-ins,” a sign of how easily Atlanta was finding interior position.
“We didn’t have an answer for that,” Thomas-Swinson said.
Wilson was even more critical, saying the Dream deserved credit for capitalizing on mistakes but that Las Vegas’ defense was the bigger issue.
“Our defense sucked as well,” she said. “I don’t want to take anything away from them. They did a phenomenal job capitalizing on our mistakes.”
Atlanta had several answers. Rhyne Howard scored 23 points, Reese and Allisha Gray had 21 each and Canada added 17 points with five assists and no turnovers.
Wilson said Atlanta’s size and versatility made the Dream difficult to guard, but she rejected the idea that scheme was the deciding factor.
“I don’t think Atlanta did anything schematically that gave us problems,” she said. “Our defense just wasn’t there. It was nonexistent.”
Turnovers kill every push
Las Vegas also wasted too many of the defensive possessions it did win. The Aces finished with 17 turnovers against 15 assists, while Atlanta recorded 15 steals and scored 18 points off Las Vegas giveaways.
Thomas-Swinson said the live-ball turnovers were especially damaging because they prevented the Aces from getting organized.
“We needed to get to the second and third sides of our offense and be much more efficient by avoiding live-ball turnovers,” she said.
Wilson committed five turnovers and took responsibility for rushing possessions.
“I led the team in turnovers, and that isn’t a good look on my end,” she said. “I think I was rushing in a lot of situations when I didn’t have to.”
That pattern showed up whenever Las Vegas threatened to make a run. The Aces would get a stop or cut into the lead, then give the ball back or miss an open look.
“Sometimes we have to take a beat and play our game,” Wilson said.
Jackie Young saw the same issue from another angle.
“When we knew the game was almost over, we kind of turned it on and tried to bring some energy,” she said. “We just have to have that from the start.”
Smith brings the motor
Smith provided one of the few stretches with the urgency Las Vegas needed. She finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks before fouling out, then gave the Aces a spark early in the fourth with scoring, rebounding and a held-ball hustle play.
“NaLyssa’s motor is always going to be key to how we operate and move,” Wilson said. “It’s a vital piece of what we do.”
Wilson said Smith gave the Aces some of the energy they had been missing.
“We wish we all could have had that motor and juice from the beginning,” she said.
Las Vegas eventually cut the deficit to six with 1:46 left, but Atlanta answered again. Gray hit a jumper, then another Wilson turnover led to a Canada basket and pushed the lead back to 10.
Effort becomes the concern
Wilson’s sharpest criticism had little to do with tactics. She said Atlanta simply wanted the game more.
“That team was coming off a crushing loss, and they wanted it more,” she said. “It was the same situation for us, and we just didn’t have it. We didn’t want it.”
For Wilson, that was more troubling than a missed rotation or a poor shooting night.
“Effort is one thing you don’t really teach or scout,” she said. “You can’t really learn it. You just have to want it.”
Thomas-Swinson acknowledged the recent schedule has been difficult, but she refused to use fatigue as cover.
“We’re professionals,” she said. “We just did not take care of it today.”
Las Vegas is now 24-13 and 2-2 on the current homestand after opening with consecutive wins over Washington. The loss was not the Aces’ most lopsided of the season, but it was revealing because the effort level became the central postgame concern.
Wilson made clear what she does not want to see again.
“You have to beat us in other ways,” she said. “You can’t beat us just by having more effort than us. I’m not going for that one.”
Up next
The Aces host the Connecticut Sun on Thursday, Aug. 20, at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PT.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
