Becky Hammon defends Aces stars sitting out during back-to-back game
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon defended her decision to bench star players during a nationally televised game against the New York Liberty. Hammon cited player health and safety, noting the physical toll of a back-to-back road schedule as the primary reason for the load management strategy.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing debate regarding player welfare versus the commercial demands of professional sports broadcasting.
It was a nationally televised WNBA matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn, a battle of two championship hopefuls. But Aces head coach Becky Hammon had a starting five nobody expected, and it could be viewed as a protest for having to play back-to-back games on the road this weekend. Hammon didn’t play four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray or Jackie Young – three usual Aces starters – with Jewell Loyd, Dana Evans and Brianna Turner taking their spots instead. It wasn’t just for the start of the game either, as all three of those players didn’t step foot on the court other than to cheer their teammates on.
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