“It Starts With Me”: A’ja Wilson Gets Emotional Following Aces’ 6–6 Start to the Season

For the last three seasons, The Las Vegas Aces have looked unstoppable, winning back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. But the defending champions have struggled to keep up their championship-caliber production, falling to a .500 record [6-6] after playing 12 games this season.

Their most recent loss was a rematch of last year’s WNBA finals, as the New York Liberty collected another road win while also avenging last year’s loss. This was the Ace’s fourth straight loss at home to Brenna Stewart and her team, with stars like LeBron James also present on the occasion.

During the post-game press conference, Ace’s star player, A’ja Wilson, looked visibly shocked by the loss and even broke down crying while explaining the struggles that she and her teammates have dealt with this season. While A’ja found the media’s criticism valid, the 6’4 center wanted fans and the media to know that she was trying her best to win while also trying to be a great teammate and player. Talking about it further, Wilson said,

“It’s hard. I love my teammates so much… [People] say I’m the best player in the world. That’s great. But I want to be the best person. I want to be the best teammate because that’s how I get the best out of my team.”

While the Ace’s recent struggles can be chalked up to Chelsea Grey’s absence, Wilson thinks otherwise. The Ace’s superstar instead chose to keep herself and her teammates accountable for their recent loss, even further adding that,

“Everybody can be good here and there, but who can be great, every single game, every possession? That’s what I’m striving for. I promise you, I’m not going to back down. It starts with me and it’s going to always be with me because I have 11 other women in that locker room that I need to pull greatness out of.”

The burden of carrying the Aces surely weighs heavily on Wilson. This season, the Aces have the opportunity to record the second three-peat in WNBA history, and the only one in the last 24 years. But if the Las Vegas-based team wants to win this year, they will have to first plug the holes in their defense.

Becky Hammon could feel disaster coming

Becky Hammon, the head coach of the Aces, looked disgruntled throughout the entire press conference, the Hall of Fame barely smiled. It was visible that Coach Hammon was disappointed in her girls, as she kept it candid when talking to the media. The 47-year-old confessed that she knew right from this year’s training camp that her team was not fit to contend this season.

But for Hammon, it wasn’t an injury problem, but a spirit problem. The veteran Coach believes that her team had lost their edge even before training camp started. Talking about it further, Hammon said,

“We don’t have an edge and we have not had it since day 1 of training camp. I have felt it, and I have tried to address it. But we just, we’re not that hungry.”

In the end, Hammon felt that her team was busy plugging holes throughout the season, which gave them very little time to focus on the main problem that plagued the team, which was their spirit and defensive tenacity.