“I think the evolving of the game, these players are bigger, stronger, faster, and more skilled,” Becky Hammon said in praise of the Aces earlier this month. The Las Vegas side showed its supremacy over other teams this season by recovering from a regular-season deficit, overcoming close competition from the Fever in the semifinals, and then cleanly defeating the Mercury 4-0 to clinch their third title in four years. So, do the Aces and A’ja Wilson deserve immense credit? Definitely, yes. And can they now beat an NBA team? Uhh… Pat Beverley seems to think so.

The former NBA player’s podcast co-host, Rone, highlighted a gutsy tweet by Beverley. It read, “idk if it’s the (wine emoji) but I really believe this Aces team could beat a NBA team @PatBevPod.” There were a few chuckles in the room before he revealed the context behind that tweet. “I’m looking at this team, I’m looking at Becky Hammon, I’m looking at A’ja Wilson, I’m looking at the way they won the game, and I’m like ‘I think they can beat an NBA team,” he said.

“When I said that, I mean an NBA team, not obviously, not the starters. I mean in like, bench player 6, 7, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, for sure. For sure! I’m not saying that they can go out there and beat the Greek Freak’s Giannis’ and all that, but you give me some m———— off the bench in Washington, these, the Wizards, and you give me some m———— off the bench from the Hornets, I put my money on them (Aces),” Beverley ranted.

The podcast co-hosts, however, argued that the Aces would struggle to dominate when they’re matched against bigger players. Beverley, in return, argued that the bench players of the Wizards and the Hornets don’t have that level of quality in them either. Additionally, he praised A’ja Wilson on the Pat Bev Podcast, saying, “This girl has missed six games in the last three or four years. Name me some NBA superstar who has missed six games in three years.”

The passion with which Patrick Beverley defended his stance was super commendable. There is no denying that the A’ja Wilson and Becky Hammon-led team has redefined expectations in women’s basketball. They showcased a fine combination of spacing, defensive communication, and offensive versatility that reflects the principles used by elite NBA teams.

The Aces rely on a rigid, defense-first approach that aims to force turnovers. The Wizards, on the other hand, were tied with the Hornets for the fourth-highest turnover rate (14.9/game) in the NBA. The former was one of five teams in the league to have a negative differential of 3% or higher in field goal percentages. This meant they allowed just about every team to shoot the ball better than they did… So, by leveraging those disadvantages, the Aces might at least have a shot at attempting to win.

Furthermore, let us not forget that the Aces are led by A’ja Wilson, the first WNBA player to win regular-season MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP while winning the Championship as well. If she believes that her Aces squad is that capable, she hasn’t publicly come out and said it yet. Interestingly, this may be because she wants to try out a 1-on-1 scenario before putting a 5-player team together. Turns out, Wilson has had one target in mind for quite a while.

A’ja Wilson once revealed she could beat Josh Hart!

Back in November 2024, A’ja Wilson made an appearance on the Roommates Show hosted by Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, along with Matt Hillman. They discussed how a 1-on-1 between them would go. She confidently stated, “[It] would be like 8 to 11, me.”

“I get the ball first? Yeah, you’re not going to get it back… I’m not saying you’re going to go scoreless, but 8 to 11 I feel like is pretty solid. So what do you think you’ll be, Josh? Don’t piss me off,” the reigning MVP said.

Josh Hart is, by all measures, a good player. While he has never been an All-Star at the NBA level, his contributions to the Knicks’ wins are noticeable. During the season preceding the Hart-Wilson discussion, he started in 42 of his 81 appearances, averaging 9.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.

If Wilson wanted to have a 1-on-1, she should have done it right then and there. Hart’s performance improved in the 2024-25 season, as he averaged 13.6 points, along with 9.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

Anyway, it will always be a hypothetical situation unless it actually happens. Honestly, do you believe that the A’ja Wilson-led Aces can beat the Wizards or the Hornets roster that comes off the bench?