Las Vegas coach Bill Laimbeer was supposed to coach Team Delle Donne while Washington coach Mike Thibault was scheduled to coach Team Wilson. But the two made an informal agreement to switch ahead of the draft, and the rest of the league’s coaches backed it — prompting Delle Donne to propose the swap.
Dearica Hamby started in place of injured star A’ja Wilson and scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Las Vegas.
The Aces waived second-year wing Jaime Nared and sixth-year center Kelsey Bone on Thursday and will break training camp with 11 players, one shy of the roster limit.
Las Vegas ascended to the 5-2 favorite to claim the WNBA crown after acquiring 6-foot-8-inch center Liz Cambage, last season’s MVP runner-up, from Dallas.
The Aces are a legitimate playoff contender, constructed around all-stars A’ja Wilson and Kayla McBride, and a brigade of youthful contributors like Kelsey Plum, Moriah Jefferson and Dearica Hamby — all 26 or younger.
The suspension, announced Monday, came after Taurasi received two technical fouls and was ejected for arguing a call in the second quarter of Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Lynx.
The Blue Man Group performed at halftime during the Las Vegas Aces game Sunday at Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Vickie Johnson coached the San Antonio Stars last season and was retained as an assistant by Bill Laimbeer after he took over the Aces’ franchise in October.
Former Mojave High and UNLV star Sequoia Holmes saw action in the first three games of the Aces’ recent four-game trip. Then she was cut. Again.
