The Las Vegas Aces have been more than just a basketball team lately. They’ve been stars in commercials, major endorsements, and public appearances. From A’ja Wilson featuring in a Nike campaign for the Paris Olympics to Kelsey Plum starring in a Skims ad, indeed, their influence extends far beyond the court. However, it looks like this growing celebrity status is costing them on the court. Well, at least their coach, Becky Hammon, thinks so!

Following devastating losses in Games 1 and 2 of the semis against New York Liberty, the head coach couldn’t hold back in her postgame press conference. She went off about her players being distracted by their fame, saying, “The whole league has been pissed off for the last eight months, and my players are in commercials and this and that, being freaking celebrities.”

Let’s not forget that it’s coming from a coach who’s been a 6× WNBA All-Star herself. She highlighted the challenges of staying focused when you’re in the spotlight, pointing out that human nature tends to get a bit distracting. 

“That’s why it’s hard,” she concludes. Looking back, the Aces came into the series confident and did pretty well. But they quickly found themselves in a tough spot in the postseason. Though a great run in round 1, the Aces couldn’t break their losing streak against the Liberty. With an 88-84 loss in game 2 of the semifinals, Liberty has now handed the team five consecutive losses this season. 

Sabrina Ionescu led the other side with 24 points, shooting 9 of 18 from the field. Wilson matched her but struggled to find her rhythm early on. The Aces shot just 43.3% from the field, while the Liberty overtook at 50%. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially considering they also lost Game 1 by 87-77, too. Now, the Liberty is leading by 2-0 and just a game away from entering the Finals. But what went with the previous Champions?

Commercials flowed in for the Aces

According to the Aces HC, the team lacked defense and communication. And she believes it could be their star status, too. A’ja Wilson has been quite the busy bee in 2024. Her involvement in Nike’s ads promoting the Paris Olympics was big. Plus, she’s also a face for CarMax’s ‘Never Settle’ campaign. However, she balanced these opportunities with her on-court performance.

She won the MVP title with 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.58 blocks per game. Along with it, she broke records for total points (1,021) and rebounds (451) in a season. At the same time, Jackie Young also starred in Nike’s “We Are Women” campaign, which shines a light on female athletes. Beyond the commercials, Jackie was the versatile star during team USA’s Olympic run, providing depth and performing both defensively and offensively. 

Chelsea Gray, on the other hand, is also featured in a variety of commercials, including Nike’s “Play New: Dynasty” and an Adidas campaign called “The Why.” Also, Plum participated in the Skims WNBA Summer 2024 Ad Campaign and a Nike commercial. But both guards portrayed their skills by creating maximum assists throughout the season. Still, one has to wonder if all these campaigns and commercials have impacted their focus.

With the next game on home turf, distractions or not, the Aces will have to fight to survive for a chance at the 3-peat.