Aces star A’ja Wilson surprisingly out of Commissioner’s Cup final vs. Liberty
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The Liberty are that much closer to a few hundred large.
Aces star A’ja Wilson, the four-time WNBA MVP and league’s leading scorer, was ruled out of Tuesday night’s Commissioner’s Cup final at Barclays Center due to a right leg injury.
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Wilson was downgraded after being designated as questionable in Monday’s injury report, the day after she appeared to roll her right ankle in a win over the Sky.
Wilson reentered the game and finished with 30 points and 15 rebounds. She is averaging 25.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while playing in all 19 games for the Aces (14-5).
Speaking after shootaround Tuesday, Aces coach Becky Hammon said she expected Wilson to be out for “a few days.”
Chelsea Gray said it’s going to be an all-hands-on-deck approach to fill the void left by Wilson’s absence.
“Everybody’s got to just be that much more better … 10 percent better, whatever that looks like for each,” Gray said. “Everybody has to come with that kind of focus, rebounding especially. We’re going to have to have guards up in the six, seven range and get it done by committee.”
It’s a disappointment to viewers looking forward to seeing another rendition of Wilson and Breanna Stewart starring in one of the league’s best rivalries.
“We want to give people a show,” Stewart said of going up against Wilson. “We want to kind of be our best when we’re playing each other and really go at it.”
Stewart said she wasn’t surprised Wilson was sidelined after seeing her “nasty” ankle injury in the previous game.
“Hopefully, she’s doing well,” Stewart said. “Also understanding the long game of the season. But I think for me, it’s making sure this team, we still don’t take Vegas lightly.”
This meeting comes with the added stakes of a $500,000 prize pool for the WNBA’s version of an in-season tournament.
Each player on the winning team receives $30,000 (admittedly less of a windfall in the WNBA’s new salary environment). Players on the losing team get $10,000, with an additional $10,000 going to the game’s MVP and a charity of the winners’ choice.
Wilson’s absence will boost the chances of the Liberty (12-8), who have lost four of their past five games. Their lone win during that stretch came last Tuesday in Las Vegas against the Aces.
Satou Sabally missed the game for the Liberty. She remains in concussion protocol after getting hit in the head in the Liberty’s June 23 win against the Aces.
Madeline Kenney contributed to this report.