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Three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson is getting an MRI on her right wrist on Wednesday, Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon confirmed following Tuesday's loss to the New York Liberty.
The injury occurred in the middle of the second quarter when Wilson took a hard fall while getting fouled on a left-handed layup attempt.
“Welp! Nothing wakes you up like the sound of an MRI machines lol,” Wilson shared to her Threads account Wednesday morning. “But just wanna say thank you all for prayers! NYL thank you sooooo much for the quick help & privacy I truly appreciate it 🙏🏽 to my squad thank you for preventing my crash out lol! God has a plan that I’ll never question. We are gonna be alright! 🤞🏽🫶🏽”
Wilson proceeded to knock down free throws, then told the Aces bench to leave her on the floor until the next dead ball.
“She didn't want us to foul to get her out,” Hammon said. “It would have essentially put them in the bonus on the next foul, and she really didn't want us to have to play defense without being able to hit anybody for four-and-a-half minutes.”
The play naturally stopped when the Liberty called a timeout with 2:22 remaining in the second. Wilson played nearly two full minutes before being subbed out and heading back to the Aces locker room.
“She stayed in because she's a competitor,” Hammon said. “She absolutely does not want to sit out or go out of a game.”
Wednesday's MRI will reveal much more detail about the Aces star. Going into Tuesday night's game, Wilson was averaging 21.9 points and nine rebounds per game.
“We just wanted to be cautious tonight, err on the side of safe with her,” Hammon said. “Big picture, our season is bigger than just this one game.”
How A'ja Wilson's absence would impact the Aces' season
Given the current state of the WNBA standings, an extended absence for Wilson could significantly damage the team's postseason chances.
The Aces and Washington Mystics both own a 9-10 record, with Washington currently owning the tiebreaker as the eighth seed in the league standings.
Right above them, the Indiana Fever and Golden State Valkyries tied for the sixth and seventh seeds with 9-9 records.
The Aces have the fourth-toughest remaining schedule with roughly two months remaining in the regular season.
Five of their next six games are against teams currently slated to make the playoffs, starting on Thursday in Washington.
