Becky Hammon
Image credit - Flickr/Platon Shilikov
A’ja Wilson has spent more than a week fielding questions about a tournament she is not even playing in. Becky Hammon decided enough was enough.
Wilson withdrew from the FIBA Women’s World Cup roster on Aug. 31, citing back soreness that has lingered through the Aces’ stretch run. Nine days later, speaking with reporters after practice in Las Vegas, Hammon addressed the criticism head on, pointing out a pattern she finds impossible to ignore.
“A’ja has every right to do what she feels is best health wise,” Hammon said, per USA TODAY’s Callie Fin. “*And the other thing is, the men do this all the time. Can you name me any of the men’s world championship rosters right now? Can you name me any person on there? What I’m saying is, LeBron and those guys, if this was a man making this decision, there would be nothing to say. And that’s my problem.*”
Becky Hammon on criticism toward A’ja Wilson for missing the FIBA World Cup, via @Callie__Fin:
“A’ja has every right to do what she feels best health wise. And the other thing is, the men do this all the time. Can you name me any of the men’s world championship rosters right now? Can you name me any person on there? … If this was a man making this decision, there would be nothing to say. And that’s my problem.”
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) September 9, 2026
The comparison is not hypothetical. LeBron James has appeared in exactly one FIBA World Cup, back in 2006, and never returned. Stephen Curry played once, in 2014, won gold and moved on. Neither faced the kind of scrutiny now surrounding Wilson, a four-time MVP averaging 26 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists this season.
That scrutiny escalated when former ESPN host Linda Cohn suggested Wilson’s absence had less to do with her back and more to do with avoiding a tournament built around Caitlin Clark.
“*Is there any part of A’ja that didn’t want to spend the next couple of weeks watching the World Cup become the Caitlin Clark show?” Cohn said. “Could there be some insecurity, dare I say? If A’ja Wilson has a back injury, then why did she play over 30 minutes a game in six of her last seven games and over 27 minutes in the other?*”
That framing drew a sharp rebuke from Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., who called for an apology.
“Linda Cohn owes A’ja Wilson a public apology and a retraction,” King wrote. “*What disappointing, delusional, and dangerous commentary targeting a great ambassador and GOAT athlete for the WNBA and for sports.*”
Becky Hammon Says A’ja Wilson’s Health Comes First
Hammon said she had not seen Cohn’s segment before her own comments, but her message lined up with what she has said about Wilson’s workload all year. The Aces have leaned on their star through a physical season, and Hammon has shown she is willing to sit Wilson even when the player wants to keep going.
Wilson landed on the injury report twice in the week before her withdrawal and did not miss a game in that stretch, playing 30 minutes in the team’s last outing before the break. Earlier this season, a separate leg injury kept her out of the Commissioner’s Cup Championship and games against Chicago and Indiana.
“She wants to play. I’m not letting her play,” Hammon said at the time, a stance that has carried into this decision as well.
Hammon expects Wilson back for the Aces’ final four regular-season games once the WNBA resumes play on Sept. 17. Las Vegas sits at 27-13, holding the third seed behind Minnesota and Golden State, and general manager Nikki Fargas echoed Hammon’s approach when addressing the roster’s overall workload this week.
“There’s a lot of pounding that goes on in this league,” Fargas said. “*With the greatness that exists in A’ja at this time, the most important thing is player health.*”
Team USA, meanwhile, has not missed a beat without her, going 3-0 through group play in Berlin behind newcomers Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron, who filled the roster spots left by Wilson and Kelsey Plum. The tournament runs through Sept. 13, and the Aces will welcome their star back with the playoffs and a title defense squarely in view.
Las Vegas has also been managing its frontcourt without forward NaLyssa Smith, ruled out for the remainder of the season in late August. The Aces responded by signing 6-foot-7 center Kalani Brown, a move Fargas expects to pay off quickly once the postseason begins. With Smith sidelined, Wilson figures to draw even more attention in the paint once she returns, making the extra rest now look less like a luxury and more like a necessity.