With 1.1 seconds remaining in a tied game with the ball coming out of bounds on the sideline, Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon had a trick up her sleeve.
The Aces were playing against head coach Teresa Weatherspoon and the Chicago Sky on Sunday. The two head coaches used to be teammates in the WNBA for five seasons so they know each other quite well and share some similar plays in their playbooks.
“I had a couple other [plays] rolling around in my head, but one of them that I was thinking about I know Spoon knows because we used to run it in New York, it’s a [former Liberty coach] Richie Adubato play,” Hammon said postgame. “I stayed away from the Richie plays because I know Spoon knows those.”
However Hammon had A’ja Wilson so anything was possible with her on the court. No matter what Hammon drew up, Wilson was going to deliver a bucket.
Kelsey Plum began by screening for Wilson at the corresponding elbow. During that screen Megan Gustafson and Jackie Young are behind the arc to space the floor. Chelsea Gray inbounding and as she gets the ball Wilson sets a screen for Plum as Plum curls to the hoop after. Gustafson then sets a pick for Young during that who comes towards the ball. Every move that is away from Wilson is a decoy.
As Plum was going towards the basket, she goes around and sets a back pick for Wilson who then crashes the rim. As Wilson is heading towards the paint the pass from Gray is already coming.
The pass from Gray came a pinch early Wilson revealed. But it ended up working perfectly.
“I saw the shadow of the ball before I saw the ball and I was like, ‘OK, this wasn’t the timing we drew up, but alright,” Wilson said referring to Gray’s pass. “When it comes to trusting someone with a pass, it’s always gonna be Chelsea Gray for me; I trust Chelsea with the ball no matter what.”
The key in the play was to take Angel Reese out of the equation. Plums screen did so and Gustafson and Young’s distraction made sure that there was no backside help.
A’ja Wilson is ICE COLD. https://t.co/Q63eb1nHOL pic.twitter.com/xzUg77ICYp
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 25, 2024
Wilson’s layup came after Linsday Allen hit a 3-pointer, and Chennedy Carter hit two more 3-pointers to tie the game with a second remaining. Las Vegas blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead. It then turned into a 77-75 Aces win.
Sky rookie Reese had another 20-rebound game with 22 while Wilson finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds marking her 21st double-double of the season. Plum scored 18 points and Gustafson had 13 points. Despite Gray’s game-winning assist, she also had seven assists, 11 points and eight rebounds.
Carter led the Sky with 25 points, and Allen had 16 points.
