Basketball has seen its share of dynasties — from the ‘Showtime’ Lakers of the 1980s to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the ’90s and the post-2010 Golden State Warriors. Now, Becky Hammon’s Las Vegas Aces have carved out their own legacy, poised to claim a third championship in four years. As Caroline Fenton said, “I think it just goes to show too that the level of investment pays off. When you cough up the money that it takes to get a coach of the caliber of Becky Hammon, that pays off”. Yet, for Hammon, this dynasty might never have taken shape without one pivotal move from A’ja Wilson that gave her the confidence to build it.

As Game 4 of the WNBA Finals progressed, the commentator was reviewing some history while A’ja Wilson was making free throws. She highlighted that when Becky Hammon made the transition from the San Antonio Spurs to the WNBA, she “took a page out of Gregg Popovich’s book when he would have a conversation with Tim Duncan”.

Several news sites today rank Tim Duncan as the best San Antonio Spurs player to ever exist, as he leads the franchise in overall points, has made an All-Star appearance in 15 of his 19 seasons, and has also won MVP twice while winning five championships with the Spurs. Her former team had a great, and her new team needed one too, which led Hammon to take some extra steps with A’ja Wilson.

“She said ‘I used that same mindset with A’ja Wilson. I went to her and I said ‘I have got to be able to coach you hard in front of other people. So, if I’m holding you accountable, everybody else on this team has to be accountable,” said the commentator. “A’ja said ‘Ok’. She has allowed Becky to be hard on her, push her, drive her, and we are seeing the greatness of A’ja Wilson because Becky Hammon has taken her to a new level”.

A’ja Wilson was drafted 1st overall by the Las Vegas Aces back in 2018. Becky Hammon, however, didn’t start coaching the Aces until 4 years later. By that point, Wilson had personally shown signs of prowess, but the team made the Finals in only one out of four years and didn’t even make the postseason in another instance.

According to reports, back in 2021, before Hammon even ran her first Aces practice, Wilson visited her in San Antonio just to “get a vibe”. They went to the gym and had dinner together. Hammon obliged in forming a connection with Wilson since, as she recalled, “To me, leadership is about relationships. So the better I get to know them, the better I know how to coach them and get the best out of them.”

From that meeting was created a bond that established a dynasty. Hammon made it clear during the meeting that she would scrap former coach Bill Laimbeer’s methodical, post-heavy system for a modern pace-and-space operation, and that she would need Wilson to play center on defense for the first time in her pro career.

After observing her player during the later practice sessions, Hammon decided Wilson would shoot threes for the first time in her career. Soon, Hammon elevated the Aces to a level that even Gregg Popovich was able to tell the team that “The way you execute, the way you play physically, it’s just beautiful to watch. Honestly. No bulls—.” Popovich left the players with a piece of advice by saying, “Listen to what the young lady says. She knows what she’s doing.”

The success that both Hammon and Wilson have gained over the years has made the head coach quite confident about the star player. That is why she no longer feels the need to give any additional instructions to Wilson during crucial moments.

Becky Hammon Revealed Just Saying “Give the ball to Aj’a” During Key Game 3 Moment

For a while, it looked as if the Phoenix Mercury would secure the win in Game 3. After all, the team stormed back and erased a 17-point deficit to tie with the Aces in the 4th quarter. However, when Alyssa Thomas couldn’t convert a layup with 20 seconds remaining, the ball returned to the Aces, and Becky Hammon called a timeout with five seconds remaining. After that, A’ja Wilson did a spin, a fade, and a shot to break the 88-88 tie and take the lead with literally 0.1 seconds remaining.

During the post-game presser, a reporter asked Wilson and Hammon what the call was for that last shot, and whether something was said regarding it in the huddle before the players went out. The head coach replied, “Give the ball to Aj’a. Get out of the way. That’s all the play was.”

Meanwhile, A’ja Wilson said that she would have felt that she wasn’t doing her job well if a coach had to tell her at that point in time about what to do. The player added that “She (Hammon) just drew up a play. Uh, it wasn’t really even a play. Yeah, it was pretty much what you saw. Um, and I’m appreciative that Becky trusted me in those moments. Uh, but those…. that’s playoff basketball moments. Those are the moments that you live for. So, I’m glad I was able to show up.”’

Even if Hammon and Wilson hadn’t shared the history, the coach might have most likely still given the ball to Wilson only. After all, over the course of 38 minutes, A’ja Wilson recorded 34 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists. She shot 11-20 (55.0%) field goals, 1-2 (50.0%) 3-pointers, and 11-12 (91.7%) free throws. The 34 points pushed Wilson’s postseason total to 291, allowing Wilson to break the WNBA record for most points in a single playoff series.

With Becky Hammon and A’ja Wilson having won a 3rd championship in 4 years, the duo has left another memorable mark in the history books of the WNBA. Just how much longer they can continue to do so is something that remains to be seen.