High expectations for Aces’ reserves after inactive trade deadline

With mere hours remaining on the clock until Tuesday’s trade deadline, Aces general manager Natalie Williams sat contently as she watched the team scrimmage.

“I mean, this is our team,” she said while glancing at the time and then the court when asked about any potential moves to be made.

And sure enough, the deadline came and went without any rumors or announcements surrounding the Aces’ roster.

The team has its “Core Four” of A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray intact. The Aces have one roster spot open, but their focus remains on getting the most they can out of their reserves as the second half of the WNBA season develops.

“The thing is not disrupting the chemistry and what’s already going on with the team,” Williams said. “So it would have to be a special situation to add someone at this time.”

Chemistry has been an interesting concept this season for the Aces (17-9), who host the Minnesota Lynx (19-8) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Following most losses, coach Becky Hammon has been blunt about her players “going rogue” and being selfish with the ball when things don’t go according to plan.

But the team’s bonds off the court are hard to ignore, forged through back-to-back WNBA championships and what the team describes as “adversity.”

On Tuesday, the Aces continued to work on making sure their trust and communication consistently translate to the court.

“Your character and how much you care about each other is what sets you apart,” Hammon told her players in the post-practice huddle.

Expectations for reserves

Wilson, the WNBA’s leader in points (27.3) and blocks (2.8) per game, illustrated Hammon’s sentiment following a crucial win over Los Angeles on Sunday that saw reserve veteran Sydney Colson contribute a clutch steal and go 2-for-2 from the field in just five minutes down the stretch.

“I was pleading, tooting (Colson’s) horn last game. I felt like she should have played in New York a little bit,” Wilson said. “So I was very glad that the showing she had today was something we really needed.”

Colson didn’t appear in four of the Aces’ past five games and is averaging only 6.2 minutes per game, but Hammon values every single one.

“Any time I put (Colson) in, she’s been great. So that’s how you advocate for more minutes: You do a great job with the minutes that you’re given,” Hammon said Tuesday in response to Wilson’s endorsement.

For one of the Aces’ reserves, it’s not that simple. Guard Kierstan Bell sustained a lower right leg injury after the first game of the season and didn’t play for 16 games. She’s appeared in three games this season altogether, her last appearance coming on July 7, even though she’s healthy.

Hammon said she hopes to get Bell, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 draft, back on the court during a game without high stakes as she makes her first appearance in over a month.

“This season has been a little bit different,” Hammon said. “We’re not blowing people out by 20, 30 points. So it’d be nice if we can get some breathing room.”

Tiffany Hayes is another important spark for the Aces, as she is averaging 8.6 points over 19 games, two of which she filled in as a starter while Young was sick.

Williams highlighted Colson, center Megan Gustafson and rookie Kate Martin as players she imagines will be especially important as the Aces make their playoff push.

“We need that particularly now because we’re tired,” Wilson said. “So when you can have your bench come in, we aren’t asking them to go for 50, they’re just doing their job. It takes a lot of pressure off for sure.”

Clocking in

Overall, the team is taking the concept of “doing their job” quite literally.

Colson and fellow veteran Alysha Clark — who can’t necessarily be categorized as a reserve because she’s started 13 games this season — usually review the shot charts of opponents for a defensive edge, Colson said.

Now, there’s a new ritual, she added.

Before and after every game and practice, every member of the Aces “clocks in” with a color-coded card that they sign. They even complete their “time sheet” with a stamp that reads “DENIED” and add notes about what stood out to them from their teammates when they “clock out.”

“It’s really, for us to understand: ‘Deny yourself when you go in here,’” Colson said. “It’s about what every individual needs to do for our team’s success. So if you’re clocking in, we’re expecting that you’re doing that.”

Contact Callie Lawson-Freeman at clawsonfreeman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.