In the final minutes of Tuesday’s matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and Portland Fire, Aces head coach Becky Hammon subbed out her starters and put in some new faces. Guard Ta’Niya Latson made her debut as a developmental player, and point guard Mai Yamamoto made her debut on a rest-of-season contract.
The name Mai Yamamoto is familiar to Aces fans. In their preseason matchup against the Japanese national team, Yamamoto was a critical scorer for Japan. She scored 24 points in the game, 21 on 3-pointers.
When a player hits seven 3-pointers, it’s impossible for them not to stand out.
“Dana [Evans is] just coming back, and we expect her to be healthy and available and stuff, but we really felt like we needed to maybe get some insurance in that position, just in case,” head coach Becky Hammon told reporters before their game against the Washington Mystics on July 22. “We’re going to be in the world championships pretty soon, so … if we need to rest some of those players that are coming back from that.
“So we just felt we needed to add another good basketball player. And obviously, at the point guard position, she can get downhill.”
In her debut against the Fire, Yamamoto only played three minutes, but she made her presence known. Despite not scoring, she had a clean pass to Jewell Loyd, who passed to Stephanie Talbot, who then sank a 3-pointer.
The second she subbed in, she was met with a standing ovation.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Yamamoto told The IX Sports. “It was great. I’m so grateful.”
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Despite not playing in their game against the Liberty on Thursday, Yamamoto stayed ready in case someone went down. Staying ready is a critical aspect of the game, and most coaches say the mentality needs to be “next player up.” Yamamoto stayed ready and supported her team throughout the game.
“It’s her job to come in and stay ready, which I know she will,” Hammon told reporters after the win over the Fire. “She’s super professional. I think in her approach, [she] understands how to play the game, so she’s just going to be a solid piece for us. I have confidence in her whenever her number is going to be called.”
Yamamoto’s arrival came at a chaotic time. The Aces announced her signing on July 18, shortly before the All-Star break, and the team’s first game back was on Tuesday. With only one day of practice after the break, Yamamoto had to adjust to her new squad quickly. Yamamoto made those adjustments and learned the Aces’ system.
“If I have a question, I ask someone, and everyone teaches me a lot,” Yamamoto said.
The rapid adjustments she’s made earned praise from coaches and teammates alike.
“She’s going to help us, so I think that’s just a little glimpse of what she can add,” Hammon said. “I love the reception that she got. They tried to double-team her. She got herself out of a trap. She’s fast with the ball.”
”She pays attention to the details,” Evans told The IX Sports. “She’s really smart. Like I said, she has a high IQ, so it doesn’t take her long to catch onto things.”
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Yamamoto’s list of international accolades is lengthy. She has played in seven senior-level international competitions. In the 2024 Olympics, she scored 17 points in Japan’s loss to the United States.
She has also helped Japan win multiple medals in the FIBA Asia Cup, including gold in 2021 and silver in 2023. Yamamoto also played a critical role on Japan’s Under-23 3×3 team, helping the team to silver in the 2018 World Cup and its first gold and world title in the 2019 World Cup.
Aside from international playing, Yamamoto has played for the Toyota Antelopes in the Japanese Professional Basketball League since 2017. In 2021 and 2022, she helped the Antelopes secure back-to-back championships.
“Just seeing how well she can shoot the ball — she can shoot it deep and has a quick trigger,” Evans said. “I like her patience and her flow of the game. I feel like she has a really good, high IQ.”
After the Aces beat the Liberty, they embarked on a five-game road trip. They’ll take on the Chicago Sky on Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern time.
For Yamamoto, this will be a chance to adjust more to the Aces’ roster and hone her craft under Hammon’s system. It will also be a chance to escape the scalding 111-degree heat wave in Las Vegas and allow her to bring the heat to the Windy City.
“It’s difficult,” Yamamoto said about the Las Vegas heat. “It’s hot and too dry.”
Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the Washington Mystics, holds a minority stake in The IX Sports. The IX Sports’ editorial operations are entirely independent of Monumental and all other business partners.
The IX Sports’ Jenn Hatfield contributed reporting for this story.
