The Las Vegas Aces are set to tip off their preseason, but one big name will be missing from the lineup. As the team prepares to take the floor, not everyone will be suiting up for the opener.

According to head coach Becky Hammon, A’ja Wilson will sit out the opener. Speaking at practice, Hammon kept it simple. “With A’ja, we are just taking our time, making sure she gets what she needs, but she won’t play tomorrow,” she said. Wilson has been dealing with an illness that limited her training camp participation, and the decision is purely precautionary.

There is no reason to rush one of the best players in the world in a preseason setting. These games are about evaluation, not results. Matchups against international teams like the Japan National Team are typically used to test rotations, give rookies extended minutes, and evaluate players fighting for roster spots. Hammon made that clear. “I want everybody to have a good run out there. We wanna use it as an opportunity to get better,” she said.

Beyond evaluation, there is value in seeing a different opponent. The Aces tip off at 5:00 PM PT against the Japan Women’s National Team at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, and Hammon is looking forward to the shift. “We’ve been playing against each other now for a week. It will be nice to go against another real team out there that has schemes and everything else,” she said.

Wilson will not be the only notable absence. The Aces have also ruled out veteran guard Dana Evans indefinitely after she suffered a left leg injury prior to training camp, removing another key backcourt option from the rotation.

The absence of A’ja Wilson and Dana Evans opens up significant minutes across the rotation, especially in the frontcourt for veteran Brianna Turner and rookie Janiah Barker. New signing Chennedy Carter is expected to make her debut despite a recent illness. Along with high-profile returners like Jackie Young and NaLyssa Smith, fresh faces like Jordan Obi should also see extended run.

The Aces have just two preseason games before their title defense begins. After this opener, they face the Dallas Wings on May 3 in Austin, Texas. Wilson’s availability for that game remains unclear, but the expectation is that she will be ready for the regular season opener against the Phoenix Mercury on May 9.

Aces Focus Heavily on Defense as Becky Hammon Integrates New Players Into System

As the Aces prepare for the 2026 season, one thing has dominated training camp: defense. Hammon made that clear when she revealed how focused their preparation has been. “We’ve been doing 80% defense for the past week,” she said. Given how the team performed on that end last season, the emphasis makes sense.

While Wilson remained an elite individual defender, even earning Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025, the team struggled collectively. The Aces finished 8th in defensive rating at 102.9, well below the standard of a title contender.

Hammon is encouraged by what she has seen so far. She believes the roster has the pieces to become a strong defensive unit, especially with added size that could make a real difference on that end.

The focus now is integrating new players into the system. “JB (Janiah Barker), Chennedy (Chennedy Carter), Obi (Jordan Obi) are definitely trying to learn our system,” Hammon said. That process also includes Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who is effectively starting fresh after missing training camp last year.

For Hammon, the approach with all of these players comes down to clarity and repetition. “It’s just about bringing those guys along and just giving them reps and being very clear in what their job is, how to do their jobs and which energy it takes to put behind it,” she explained. And by her own assessment, the process is going well, and she’s “real pleased with everybody.”

If that progress carries into the preseason and beyond, the Aces could field a much stronger defensive unit than last season. That improvement may ultimately determine how far they go in their title defense.