No. 3 Las Vegas struggled over the weekend, falling to No. 1 Minnesota 98-87 on Saturday before opting to rest its starters in Sunday’s 111-71 Aces vs Liberty loss.
The Aces sat veterans Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and A’ja Wilson against the Liberty in an attempt to give the stars some rest. New York subsequently limited Las Vegas’s starting lineup to just 19 points.
“The health and safety of players comes first,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “Wherever we end up, we end up. And we’ll play whatever hand is dealt.”
Next month’s 2026 FIBA World Cup is looming. The timing makes load management a hot topic as teams gear up for postseason.
League-leaders like No. 2 Golden State are putting national team players on minutes restrictions. Meanwhile, other teams are leaning on their biggest names as they jockey for playoff positioning.
“You want people that pay for the tickets to be able to see you play,” said New York’s Jonquel Jones. “But you also want to be smart and make sure you’re resting your body, and not putting yourself in a position where you can get injured.”
The Aces will look to bounce back against surging No. 5 Washington tomorrow at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).
