Becky Hammon Says Aces Have 'Heart Issue,' Questions Effort After Loss to Valkyries

Becky Hammon said the Las Vegas Aces have a “heart issue” after a sluggish and uninspired start to the season, calling out her team’s lack of effort and intensity.

"I'm not going to coach effort. It's the one thing I can't deal with," Hammon told reporters. "You're in charge of your effort. I guess I'm in charge of playing time...I'm not going to pull you from mistakes, but I will pull you for effort."

The Aces are off to a 4-3 start to the season—respectable on paper, but the on-court product tells a different story. The energy and determination that once defined the team seem to be lacking, raising concerns about the squad’s focus and drive early in the year.

On Saturday, the Aces suffered a 95-68 blowout loss to the Golden State Valkyries, marking a new low in a disappointing start to their 2025 campaign.

"It was a good old-fashioned ass-whipping, and there's no other way to put it. ...This is really one of the worst games I've seen from us," Hammon said after their blowout loss on Saturday.

It was their second lopsided defeat of the season, following a 20-point loss to the Seattle Storm. They also dropped their season opener to the New York Liberty by 14.

After finishing last year with a 27-13 record and securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference before falling to the eventual champion Liberty in the WNBA semifinals, the Aces are stumbling out of the gate in stark contrast to their 2024 form.