Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon didn’t say much to her team after its 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx in early August. Having been run off the floor by the Lynx in the second-biggest defeat in WNBA history, Hammon knew she had few positives to relay. “And my mom told me,” Hammon said, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.”
Instead, Hammon immersed herself in game film. As she stewed over the historic drubbing, she ran through scenarios, trying to figure out what changes to make. She pondered which buttons to push and when. In a season in which players and coaches have routinely complained about the league schedule, Hammon was grateful Las Vegas played the Golden State Valkyries the day after the loss. She was adamant there was no better way to cleanse her palate than to take the floor the following night.
At least for now, the Aces can point to the Minnesota loss as an inflection point. Las Vegas has won five consecutive games since the blowout, with its victory over the New York Liberty on Wednesday marking the franchise’s first regular-season win over New York in nearly two years. The Aces have climbed to fifth in the standings. They sit just 2 1/2 games behind the No. 2-seeded Atlanta Dream. For as inconsistent as they have been — and their season has been plenty uneven — the Aces appear to be finding their stride. “We’re constantly getting better,” guard Jewell Loyd said. “We know we’re not done evolving as a team.”
