It was a surreal moment. Jewell Loyd had spent her entire 10-year career with the Storm, but she recently found herself at the free-throw line in an Aces jersey, with the game on the line. She calmly sank two shots with just 6.1 seconds remaining to seal the win—only this time, it was against her former team. However, the free-throw situation didn’t work out as well for another player who averaged over seven free-throw attempts per game in the 2025 season.
Yes, A’ja Wilson, who boasts a free-throw percentage of 92.5%, endured a bizarre night. Even though she recorded 19 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, her signature move was missing. It felt incomplete as she finished a game without a single free-throw attempt for the first time in her WNBA career.
After all, free throws were what led her to break the WNBA single-season scoring record with her 941st point. She hit a jumper from the free-throw line with 26.4 seconds left in the second quarter against the Fever, surpassing the previous mark of 939 points set by Jewell Loyd in 2023.
So, of course, it wasn’t easy to digest for the Aces—even though they won the game. That’s why the Las Vegas head coach didn’t shy away from calling it out on behalf of her star player.
Aug 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon gestures to players during the second quarter against the New York Liberty at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
In the postgame interview, the interviewer asked Becky Hammon. “Coach if you could talk about Dominique Malonga’s defense in the fourth quarter on A’ja Wilson. What did you think of that?” Coach Hammon didn’t hesitate even for a second and responded, “I thought A’ja Wilson got fouled a few times. Um for A’ja to play I don’t know what 34 minutes and have zero free throws is crazy.” However, this isn’t A’ja Wilson’s first rodeo with questionable officiating.
Becky Hammon’s been here before, too. Remember that brutal 2020 semifinal against Connecticut? Wilson took 10 free throws in Game 5, dropping 23 to send the Aces to the Finals. Then last year, during her 53-point explosion against Atlanta, she went 20-of-21 from the line. That’s who we’re talking about. So when she plays 34+ minutes of physical basketball and doesn’t get a single call? That math doesn’t add up. And that’s why Hammon called out an obvious pattern.
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