Becky Hammon Sends 3-Word Message on Aces Mentality After A'ja Wilson Wrist Injury

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon got honest about A'ja Wilson potentially missing time with a wrist injury.
Jul 6, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Jul 6, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

While the Las Vegas Aces suffered an 87-78 defeat to the New York Liberty on July 8, there is much more concern about the health of star forward A'ja Wilson, who seemed to suffer a wrist injury after a hard fall at one point in the second quarter.

Wilson was going up for a layup and fell hard on her front side, landing with her right arm awkwardly beneath her. Her right wrist seemed to take the brunt of the damage, as she was clearly in pain after it occurred. Wilson ultimately exited the game and did not return.

There's no current update on the severity of Wilson's injury, as she's going to get an MRI on Wednesday morning. Of course, losing a player of Wilson's caliber would be devastating for any team, and the Aces are no different.

Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon spoke about what her team's mentality was in the second half, knowing that Wilson won't be returning — and it also speaks to what her team's mindset must be moving forward if she's to miss time.

"Next man up," Hammon said of the team's second-half mentality, per a video from the Aces' YouTube account. "That's it."

When asked whether the Aces are better equipped to potentially play without A'ja since they had to do so for a couple of games earlier in the season, Hammon said, "I mean, it is what it is. Obviously, she changes the whole dynamic on both ends of the floor for us. You can't replace her... so you've gotta get in there, you've gotta keep fighting."

Fans can only hope that Wilson's injury isn't severe and that she's back in the Aces' lineup soon.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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