Aces coach Becky Hammon benches 3 starters in what looks like WNBA scheduling protest in national TV game

Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham are giving the WNBA exactly what every league says it wants: attention, rivalry, ratings, personality, memes, and real fan emotion. So why does the league keep looking uncomfortable with the very energy that is making people watch? On this episode of The Riley Gaines Show, Riley breaks down Clark’s return to elite form, the Fever’s surge, the technical foul controversy, and Sophie Cunningham pushing back on the

It was a nationally televised WNBA matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn, a battle of two championship hopefuls.

But Aces head coach Becky Hammon had a starting five nobody expected, and it could be viewed as a protest for having to play back-to-back games on the road this weekend.

Hammon didn’t play four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray or Jackie Young – three usual Aces starters – with Jewell Loyd, Dana Evans and Brianna Turner taking their spots instead. It wasn’t just for the start of the game either, as all three of those players didn’t step foot on the court other than to cheer their teammates on.

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Becky Hammon, head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, looks on against the New York Liberty during their game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Aug. 9, 2026. (Getty Images)

For a nationally televised ABC game against a rival, it was a curious move by Hammon, but the load management move is one that she defended following a 111-71 rout by the Liberty on their home Barclays Center court.

"The health and safety of players comes first," Hammon said, per Yahoo Sports. "Wherever we end up, we end up, and we’ll play whatever hand is dealt to us. To me, this was a just a bigger