A’ja Wilson Suffers Injury in Aces’ Loss
In an unexpected turn of events, A’ja Wilson, the three-time WNBA MVP, left the game between the Las Vegas Aces and the Los Angeles Sparks due to a head injury. The incident occurred during the Aces’ 97-89 loss. Wilson took a hit to the face while defending a play by Dearica Hamby of the Sparks. Wilson retired from the game with 1:17 left in the third quarter, immediately covering his nose with a towel and did not return to the game.Wilson finished the game with 13 points, with a record of 2 of 12 field goals and 9 of 10 from the free throw line in 28 minutes of play. In addition, he added 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. Jackie Young led Las Vegas with 34 points, followed by Chelsea Gray, who contributed 28. Hammon criticized the team’s performance on both sides of the court, especially on defense, allowing the Sparks a 56.9% field goal percentage.“I was bleeding. She’s going to the doctor tomorrow to see what’s going on. I have nothing more to say,” Aces coach Becky Hammon stated.
Becky Hammon
Rickea Jackson of the Sparks scored a career-high 30 points. The Sparks improved their record to 4-7. The Aces, WNBA champions in 2022 and 2023, now have a 4-4 record, after losing to the Golden State Valkyries. Jewell Loyd, the WNBA’s leading scorer in 2023, continues to struggle in her first season with the Aces, finishing with seven points. She has scored in double figures in only three of the Aces’ eight games and has a field goal percentage of 29.4%.“We scored 89 points and only had two nights of good offensive production: Chelsea and Jackie. Everyone else was bad. The bench was bad. But 89 points should be enough to win a game. You can’t give up 50 points at halftime. We’re still looking for that 40-minute game. It’s like a damn unicorn,” Hammon expressed.
Becky Hammon
Faced with the question of whether to consider taking Loyd out of the starting lineup, Hammon acknowledged: “Yes, it has been discussed. She has mentioned it.”“I think he’s getting good opportunities, he’s just missing them. He had foul trouble, which is always a little bit of a hurdle in someone’s playing time. But he’s doing a lot of other things well,” Hammon commented.
Becky Hammon
