Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson exited Tuesday’s 87-78 loss to the New York Liberty with a right wrist injury and did not return.
The injury occurred with 4:13 left in the second quarter when Wilson fell hard while driving to the basket against Liberty wing Leonie Fiebich. After remaining on the court for over a minute, surrounded by teammates and staff, Wilson walked off under her own power. She made two subsequent free throws and played for less than two more minutes before being permanently removed from the game.
Post-game, Aces coach Becky Hammon had no immediate update on Wilson’s condition, stating that the reigning WNBA MVP is scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday morning.
“Obviously she changes the whole dynamic on both ends of the floor for us,” Hammon said. “You can’t replace her. For sure not one person, two, maybe even three, four.”
Hammon emphasized a cautious approach, adding, “Err on the side of safe with her. Big picture. Our season is bigger than just this one game. So we want to make sure she’s good to go and not put her at any risk.”
Wilson, who is set to make her seventh All-Star appearance next week, returned to the team bench for the fourth quarter with her right wrist wrapped. The two free throws were her only points of the night. She entered the contest averaging 21.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Despite losing their star player, the Aces kept the game competitive. The score was tied 72-72 with 4:14 remaining before the Liberty launched a decisive 8-0 run. Las Vegas faltered down the stretch, failing to make a field goal in the final 5:41 and committing seven of their 11 turnovers in the fourth quarter.
“I still look at this as a game we could have stole,” Hammon said. “It’s a bummer that opportunity slipped away.”
The loss drops the Aces to 9-10 on the season, tied for eighth in the league standings. Wilson has already missed three games this season with a concussion, during which the team went 1-2.
For the Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu led all scorers with 26 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Jackie Young paced the Aces with a team-high 19 points, while Dana Evans contributed 16 points off the bench.
“It’s A’ja Wilson, so not one person can just fill that void,” Young said. “Just hoping that it’s nothing too serious.”
The Aces will face the Washington Mystics on Thursday.
Source link
