Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon couldn’t stick around to see the finish of the game on Tuesday night, which had already started on a rough note for her side. Sadly, her effort to defend her team came with an early exit and a potential fine after an ugly sideline outburst directed at WNBA officials got her dramatically ejected from the game.
On any other night, Aces center A’ja Wilson would be the talk of the town with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks. But not on August 18, 2026. The ultimate highlight from the night was that Las Vegas was left without a coach for the second half. Halfway through the second quarter, Aces coach Hammon was ejected from the game after an altercation with an official over uncalled fouls against Wilson.
Hammon was furious after believing that Atlanta Dream’s Madina Okot and Jordin Canada both made contact with Wilson during her team’s 97-82 loss without a call from the officiating staff.
After Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese missed a midrange jumper with 5:06 left in the second quarter on the subsequent possession, Hammon got into a heated argument with the refs. With Atlanta leading 33-29, the fifth-year coach got her first technical.
Then, frustrated, the Aces coach came off the sidelines and stormed onto the court toward officials. Wilson and her assistant coaches had to even hold Hammon back. Assistant coach Charlene Thomas-Swinson was forced to take over on the sidelines as the unrelenting argument resulted in Hammon’s second technical foul and an immediate ejection from the game.
Becky Hammon has been ejected.pic.twitter.com/9h6J8pzYHk
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) August 19, 2026
As the Aces coach exited the court, the home crowd inside the venue made its feelings heard. They erupted in loud cheers of “refs you suck” in support of Hammon. After getting her second technical foul in a short period of time, she headed toward the locker room, high-fiving players, fans, and other team personnel on the way.
Speaking to the media post-game, Wilson said, “Becky, rightly so, was upset with the no-call. Just the inconsistency that we see sometimes; it’s frustrating. It gets to you. We tried to hold her back, but Becky’s strong as hell.”
Las Vegas was outscored 28-16 in the second quarter, which was the worst part of the game when they lost their head coach. Despite winning the third quarter 20-19, they were unable to overcome the total deficit.
Hammon skipped the post-game interview after the devastating defeat. It was her first ejection since the Aces’ defeat against the Los Angeles Sparks in June 2024. The ejection is only the second in Hammon’s five-year head coaching tenure with the Aces, where she has a 121-50 overall record.
When asked about Hammon’s ejection, assistant coach Thomas-Swinson said, “She felt like (A’ja Wilson) had gotten fouled a couple (of) times. It’s the lens of the referee being able to not see the right angle. But she had asked for that a couple (of) times, and unfortunately it just didn’t work out.”
In the post-game pool report with officials, crew chief Roy Gulbeyan called Hammon’s behavior “aggressive” and “unsportsmanlike.”
Unfortunately, Hammon’s punishment doesn’t end with the ejection. The Aces coach will be fined $1,000 for her technical fouls.
According to the WNBA regulations, a coach or player faces a $500 fine for each of their first three technical fouls. The fourth through seventh technicals, meanwhile, draw a $1,000 fine. A coach or player faces a $1,500 fine and a one-game suspension after eight technical fouls. Hammon’s most recent technical fouls were her second and third of the season.
With seven games left in the regular season, the 97-82 loss knocks the 24-13 Aces to fourth place in the rankings, behind the Indiana Fever, who are on the rise.
