Aces heed call to get 'feisty,' tie series in Game 2 blowout - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Aces coach Becky Hammon said the physicality of her team's semifinal series against the Indiana Fever has been «out of control» following Las Vegas' 90-68 Game 2 victory to even the best-of-five series at 1-1.

«I mean, you can bump and grab a wide receiver in the NFL for those first five yards, but you can do it in the W for the whole half-court,» Hammon said. «You put two hands on somebody like that, it should be an automatic foul. The freedom of movement, there's no freedom. And I'm not saying that we're not fouling, too, not saying that. I'm saying it's out of control.

»Most of my assistants come from the NBA, and they're like, 'This would not fly in the NBA.… There'd be fights.' We just have very well-mannered women that can get to the next play."

There were 41 fouls called in Game 2, including 16 in the third quarter, and 27 called in Game 1. The Aces took 21 free throws on Tuesday compared with 15 for the Fever.

Hammon previously called out what she believed was an overly physical first-round series between the Fever and the Atlanta Dream, deeming it a «football match» and saying «some of the hits that I saw in the Atlanta-Indiana game, if I did that to you in the street, I would be arrested.»

The officiating was a point of contention for Fever coach Stephanie White after Game 2, as well, albeit for different reasons.

«It's hard for us to find flow when there's a foul called every 10 seconds,» White said. «I mean, it just really is, and when they're at the free throw line, we can't get up and down the floor, and that's a challenge.»

Players on both sides spoke to the physical nature of playoffs in general.

«It feels like a physical game every game,» said Indiana's Lexie Hull, who finished with 15 points