Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon sent out a stern warning to the Indiana Fever and the WNBA officiating after an explosive incident took place during Game 2 of their playoff round against Caitlin Clark’s team.
In a post-game interview, Aces head coach Becky Hammon got honest about her frustrations over the level of physicality that took place during their Game 2 against the Indiana Fever.
“The physicality is out of control, that’s for sure,” Hammon told reporters. “Freedom of movement. There’s no freedom. I’m not saying we’re not fouling too. I’m saying it’s out of control.”More Hammon: “Freedom of movement. … There’s no freedom. I’m not saying we’re not fouling too. I’m saying it’s out of control.
“Most of my assistants come from the NBA. This level of physicality would not fly … and lead to fights.” https://t.co/lxZP8gfwxa
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) September 24, 2025
The Las Vegas Aces took control early and rolled to a 90-68 victory over the Indiana Fever in Game 2 of the first-round WNBA playoff series, flipping momentum in Las Vegas and tying the best-of-five set at 1-1.
Aces stars paced the game, with strong scoring and defensive pressure that limited Indiana’s transition game and forced turnovers that led to easy points for the Aces.. The home win sends the series back to Indiana level and gives the Aces renewed confidence as the teams head into Game 3 with the matchup fully even.
Becky Hammon, Fever HC Give Honest Opinion on Game Officiating
Aces HC Becky Hammon and Fever HC Stephanie White voiced frustration after a physical playoff series between their respective teams. In their respective interviews, both coaches said the level of contact under the basket would be unacceptable in other leagues and has gone largely unchecked by officials.
Hammon, drawing on NBA experience, said the games featured repeated grabbing and heavy contact that, in her view, should have led to more fouls and possibly fights in a different officiating environment.
“Most of my assistants come from the NBA, and they’re like, ‘This would not fly in the NBA. This level of physicality would not fly in the NBA. There’d be fights. There’d be fights,’” Hammon said. “We just have very well-mannered women that can get to the next play, but there would be fights. I’m not concerned, because I know we’ll keep our composure. I don’t get it.”
Fever coach Stephanie White said that the constant foul calls impacted Indiana’s transition offense and rhythm, pointing out that the Aces’ trips to the free throw line affected the Fever’s ability to run.
Becky Hammon highlighted that defensive three-second penalties were frequent in the regular season but nearly absent in the playoffs, amplifying worries that officiating standards are uneven during the most critical games.
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