Becky Hammon Has 'Take That Matchup Any Day' Stance on A'ja Wilson vs Caitlin Clark

The Las Vegas Aces secured a thrilling overtime win against the Indiana Fever on Thursday night, storming back from behind late in the game to get an 86-85 victory.

While there were several pivotal possessions and plays made throughout the game, perhaps the most compelling was when A'ja Wilson stole the ball from Caitlin Clark with about seven seconds left in overtime, which led to Chelsea Gray's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

A’JA WILSON LOCKS UP CAITLIN ON ONE-END

RECOVERS THE BASKETBALL

THEN CHELSEA GRAY WALK OFF GAME WINNNERRRRRRRR pic.twitter.com/dsmaLMq4dz
— Bala (@BalaPattySZN) August 7, 2026

It was somewhat strange to see Wilson, who is a center, matching up against Clark, who is a point guard, during that play. But Wilson clearly proved that she was up to the challenge and made a play that ultimately led to her team's win.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon spoke to her team in the locker room after the game and praised Wilson's defense of Clark, pointing to the two-time reigning WNBA MVP and saying, "I'll take that matchup [against Clark] any day. [A'ja], like I said, I know we've put you in tough positions. But it’s because I believe you can guard everybody. I believe you can guard everybody."

"I'm living with that every time Chelsea." 👏@lvaces head coach Becky Hammon's speech after Chelsea Gray's game-winner. pic.twitter.com/zsPfrzYDAE
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) August 7, 2026

Perhaps this shouldn't be seen as a strong take, since Wilson is a three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winner and arguably the greatest defender in women's basketball history. Not to mention that she's extremely versatile, long, and athletic, which makes her essentially a positionless defender.

But guarding Caitlin Clark is one of the toughest and most unique tasks in the WNBA right now, especially for a forward who has a speed disadvantage. Wilson proved that she can rise to the challenge and will perhaps be matched up against Clark more often if these two teams meet again in the postseason.

Could Fever and Aces Face Each Other in the WNBA Postseason?

It's still too early to get a good understanding of what the WNBA standings will look like once the regular season ends. As it stands, the Aces' 22-9 record would make them the No. 2-seed behind the 25-7 Minnesota Lynx, while the 19-12 Fever are tied for the No. 5-seed.

But five teams are within 1.5 games of each other in the standings, after the Lynx, the Aces, and the Golden State Valkyries, and many of these teams are matched up against each other often down the stretch.

Regardless, the Fever and the Aces would both probably prefer to face another team in the first round, given how tough this matchup usually is for both sides.

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