Ahead of the game against the Indiana Fever, A’ja Wilson formally received the MVP trophy in front of the home fans. Everyone cheered for the team’s superstar, who put them back in the championship race. The night started off well, but the Indiana Fever’s win overshadowed the MVP celebrations. HC Becky Hammon blasted the Las Vegas Aces players after the shocking defeat, but fans pointed out the absence of the MVP from the post-game interview.
Many expected the leader of the Aces to come forward, having won the MVP trophy, but after watching Jackie Young and Dana Evans in the press conference, some fans called her a ‘coward’. NBA star Draymond Green objected to the term.
Draymond Green Supports A’ja Wilson
When the 29-year-old star won the MV award, she received it from her boyfriend Bam Adebayo. LeBron James also congratulated her, calling her sister from the WNBA. A night earlier, Dwyane Wade said that Wilson could beat NBA players one-on-one. With such praises from established stars, many expected her to be a dominant force against the Indiana Fever.
However, she struggled against Stephanie White’s defensive strategy and could score only 16 points, nearly half of her first-round average. Her 16-point shortfall was the difference between the loss and the win. As she didn’t attend the press conference, some called her a coward for dodging the questions about the loss. Draymond Green came to her support.
“A’ja Wilson just won MVP and is ducking postgame media after putting up a stinker. But I bet if the Aces win on Tuesday, she will be front and center. You can sit there and have a conference about winning the MVP, but can’t be asked questions about the ass-whopping you just took? She is a COWARD!!!!” A fan wrote.
“A coward is a strong word. Sometimes you just don’t want to talk. But you probably wouldn’t know what that’s like… also not sure whopping fits there,” He also added in his reply.
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While there is no rule requiring particular players to attend the postgame interviews, leaders do face the press in important games. Wilson even answered a few questions on the court after the game. For the Indiana Fever, Odyssey Sims and Brianna Turner attended the press conference, while record breaker Kelsey Mitchell was absent.
Indiana Fever Shut Down A’ja Wilson
Though it was just the opening game of the series, and the underdog Fever team won just one game, the way they dominated the floor was commendable. Aliyah Boston was the primary defender on Wilson, limiting the explosive scorer to under 18% efficiency, sacrificing her own offensive output in the game.
HC Stephanie White addressed Boston’s low-scoring game and highlighted how she impacts the game in multiple ways.
The Fever team will once again face the Aces on September 23, looking to close the series on home court as early as possible, before Wilson finds her rhythm back.