Reigning Champs Got Demolished 99-66 and Becky Hammon's Message Is Brutal

The Las Vegas Aces are the defending WNBA champions. They're also 0-1 and got absolutely torched by the Phoenix Mercury in their season opener on Saturday. We're talking a 99-66 blowout that left their coach furious and searching for answers before they face the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.

Defense Disappeared When It Mattered Most

This wasn't close. Las Vegas gave up huge runs in the second and third quarters and looked completely lost on the defensive end. Phoenix was shooting lights out from three, hitting 11-of-24 from deep. Last season, the Aces held opponents to 31.6% from three, some of the best perimeter defense in the league. This? This was embarrassing.

After the loss, coach Becky Hammon didn't sugarcoat it. "I don't think we're in good enough shape to play at the level that we need to," she said. "The defense, it looks like we haven't worked on it. We've been doing it an hour-and-a-half every day in practice." But then came the real dagger: "The little details that we talk about that are separation factors, we're not doing them. And until we decide we want to do them, we'll continue to get our butt kicked like this."

Offensive Firepower Sputtered Around Wilson

Even A'ja Wilson, the four-time league MVP, couldn't carry the load alone. She finished with 19 points while Jackie Young added 12. That's not enough when you're the defending champs and you're supposed to be dominant. The Aces couldn't find consistent offensive rhythm, and it showed in the final score.

Now They Face a Sparks Team Built Different

Los Angeles is tipping off its season against Vegas on Sunday, and the Sparks aren't the same vulnerable team they were last year. In 2025, the Sparks had the league's worst defense, surrendering 88.2 points per game and allowing 10.1 threes a contest. But they've made moves. They added veteran forward and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike, who averaged 18.3 points and seven rebounds with the Seattle Storm last season. They've also got Dearica Hamby, a former Aces player who put up 18.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in 2025. Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in 2024, rounds out a frontcourt that looks more formidable.

Kelsey Plum, who won championships with Las Vegas in 2022 and 2023 before signing with the Sparks last year, told the Los Angeles Times that Ogwumike's addition validates the vision. "When Nneka signed this year, I was like, 'OK, I'm not crazy. They're seeing the vision I am seeing.'"

The defending champs need to fix their defense fast or Sunday's trip to Los Angeles is going to hurt even more.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.