Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon was ejected from Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Dream after receiving two consecutive technical fouls for arguing with officials. The incident occurred in the second quarter of the 97-82 loss at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Hammon's outburst began when she vocally protested a missed foul call on an Aces possession. Following the change of possession, she directed her anger towards sideline referee Amy Bonner, who assessed Hammon her first technical foul. Hammon then continued to argue, leading another official, Roy Gulbeyan, to issue a second technical, resulting in her ejection.
Despite attempts by players like A'ja Wilson and assistant coaches to restrain her, Hammon continued her heated exchange before leaving the court. The home crowd showed support for their coach as she headed to the tunnel.
Players on the Aces expressed frustration with the officiating. Jackie Young stated after the game that Hammon was "rightfully so" upset about the no-call on their end and questioned the inconsistency of the referees' decisions. A'ja Wilson echoed these sentiments, describing the situation as "frustrating."
This ejection is not the first time Hammon has expressed discontent with WNBA officiating this season. In May, she publicly criticized the league's referees for a perceived lack of foul calls on her players in a loss to the Dallas Wings. At the time, she noted that key players like A'ja Wilson, Chennedy Carter, and Jackie Young received significantly fewer free throws than opposing players.
During Tuesday's game, the Dream were awarded 27 free throws, while the Aces had 25 attempts from the line. The Las Vegas Aces, currently fourth in the WNBA standings with a 24-13 record, have experienced recent inconsistency, losing three of their last five games. The team has seven regular-season games remaining as they aim to defend their back-to-back championships from 2022 and 2023.