Becky Hammon blames herself for A’ja Wilson not receiving MVP

The WNBA Finals are approaching Game 3, and the controversy surrounding MVP voting in the regular season has left Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon fuming. Despite her dominant performance on both ends of the court throughout the season, Aces’ star A’ja Wilson finished third in the MVP voting.

The MVP award went to New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, with Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas coming in second place and Wilson in third.

“This is absurd,” Hammon exclaimed about Wilson’s rank. “To finish third in MVP voting? Unbelievable. Wilson has been absolutely outstanding. Her efficiency on both offense and defense is off the charts.”

“If I had played her for as many minutes as Stewart, she would’ve averaged 28 points and 13 rebounds per game. Everyone would be raving about her. But she was overlooked because I didn’t play her in the fourth quarters.”

“3rd in MVP voting? Okay. Rest on that. It’s a joke.” 🌶️👀

Becky Hammon on A’ja Wilson being snubbed for MVP

(via @WNBA) pic.twitter.com/2iNXkxC1dC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 12, 2023

Despite the controversy, Wilson and the Aces have their eyes set on a greater prize – back-to-back WNBA titles. With convincing victories in Games 1 and 2 against the Liberty, the Aces are determined to complete a sweep in Game 3. No team has ever managed to overcome a 0-2 deficit in WNBA Finals history, but the Liberty could potentially create history by becoming the first to do so.

The critical Game 3 will take place on Sunday at the Barclays Center in New York.