It’s not every day the Las Vegas Aces and A’ja Wilson are mogged with rings. But when they were about to receive their third in four years, the Aces were joined by a man who owns seven. Tom Brady was in the crowd with Wilson’s boyfriend Bam Adebayo as the team received a unique set of rings to commemorate their 2025 Championship. However, Phoenix Mercury turned a day of celebration for Brady and Co. into an anticlimax.
Tom Brady is not just a fan of the Aces. He has a minority ownership in the team along with the Las Vegas Raiders as well. “My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters’ games,” he said at the time. “They were by far the best athletes in our house!” Brady also posted a photo of a packed arena on his IG stories, accompanied by three ring emojis. Yet, what unfolded would have been a disappointing game for the football GOAT.
The Las Vegas Aces were thrashed. And that’s putting it lightly. Alyssa Thomas banked one in to open the scoring and the revenge-seeking Mercury never looked back. A 99-66 win over the defending champions meant it was the largest loss in a season opener by a WNBA Champion, per the Sporting News.
The Aces also became the first team to lose on its ring night since 2018, when the Minnesota Lynx lost on a buzzer-beater to the Los Angeles Sparks. Ironically, it was also the Sparks whom they beat in the WNBA Finals the year before.
“And suddenly ring night became about us,” wrote the official Phoenix Mercury account to add insult to the wound.
Four-time MVP Wilson led the Aces with 19 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds. Jackie Young added 12 points, while NaLyssa Smith finished with 11 points. Chennedy Carter, the No. 4 pick in 2020 who was out of the WNBA last year, had 10 points in her first game with the Aces.
However, there is precedent for the Aces to find success from here.
The Aces tied the record for a defending title holder’s worst defeat (38 points) during the 2023 season but went on to win the title that year anyway. And last year, they were barely looking like a playoff team until the final 15 games. So, the Aces will not be written off so early into the season. However, Hammon and Wilson are determined to not repeat that start while setting the standard in Las Vegas.
Becky Hammon and A’ja Wilson Set Standards After Phoenix Mercury Loss
This was the Aces’ worst defensive display since the 111-58 beatdown to the Minnesota Lynx last year. They allowed the Mercury to shoot 49% from the field, including 46% from 3-point range (11-24), while Vegas shot only 21% (4-19) behind the arc. “We have to uphold our standard on the defensive end, and that trust factor has to come in every single night,” A’ja Wilson said.
The Mercury looked more ready to compete, while the Aces seemed to still be getting out of their slumber. Despite being largely the same team as last year, the Aces’ connection seemed off as they could not execute cleanly.
“We’re giving 80 percent of the court for free before we touch anybody. It’s like trying to stop an intruder to get to your refrigerator, and they’re already in your kitchen,” Hammon said. “You got to meet them outside the white picket fence and start defending from there. We’re giving 75 to 80 percent of the floor for free and thinking we can defend that last 20 percent. It doesn’t work that way.”
Hammon further maintained that a repeat of 2025 is not acceptable. “That was not fun,” Hammon said. “It’s not the standard. It wasn’t acceptable last year, and it’s not acceptable this year.” The Aces were outrebounded and outscored 46-38 in the paint. But their slogan of “never Fold” will ring in their minds as they try and bounce back.
