Aces’ Wilson ruled out of Commissioner’s Cup championship game

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson has been ruled out of the Las Vegas Aces‘ matchup Tuesday against the New York Liberty in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game due to a right leg injury.

Aces coach Becky Hammon said she doesn’t anticipate it being a long-term issue for Wilson and the goal is for her to be back later this week.

Wilson rolled her ankle in the fourth quarter of the Aces’ 107-99 win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday. She returned to the game after a brief trip to the locker room, ultimately finishing with 30 points and 15 rebounds, a WNBA-record eighth time in her career she has reached those numbers in a game.

The 6-foot-4 forward said on the broadcast afterward that she expected to bounce back from the injury after treatment.

“I think there’s something to be said for when you’re in the moment, you got some adrenaline, the joints are all very warmed up — it’s when you get off the court that you realize you probably tweaked it a little worse than you originally thought,” Hammon said on Tuesday.

Wilson, 29, has been remarkably durable during her historic WNBA career. Prior to Tuesday, she had missed just six games over her past seven seasons and 14 in her entire career.

“She doesn’t like sitting out. She does not like missing games,” Hammon said.

“There’s a toughness factor to her that is hard to replicate.”

Wilson, who is also the MVP front-runner this season, leads the league in scoring at 25.7 points per game, while coming in fourth in rebounding (9.4 RPG) and first in blocks (2.0 BPG).

Hammon said that the focus for the Aces remains on rebounding and defending, which will be even more critical without their anchor in the paint, though playing smaller could give them a different look offensively with more speed and shooting.

Either way, the coach doesn’t expect her team to be down on itself as it looks to bring home a second Commissioner’s Cup championship with the best player in the world on the bench.

“At the end of the day, they’ve got to bring the juice and execute the messaging and hold each other accountable for the messaging,” Hammon said. “They’re a really professional group. They understand, they’ve been in big games, they’ve been in big moments, so there’s a lot of trust, I think, in both directions there with them and myself.”

Last week, the Liberty beat the Aces 87-76, with Wilson on the floor, but her absence on Tuesday doesn’t change the mindset at all for New York.

“That team is more than just A’ja,” Liberty’s Breanna Stewart said. “While she’s a big part of what they do offensively and defensively, I know that they’re going to have people step up, and we’re going to be ready for it.”

After Tuesday’s tilt, Las Vegas is next back in action Friday against the Sky and Sunday against the Indiana Fever, both games at home.

The Aces, who are representing the Western Conference in the final of the WNBA’s in-season tournament, are second in the league standings at 14-5, while the Liberty, who are representing the East, are fifth at 12-8 after losing four of their past five games. The Commissioner’s Cup final does not count toward league standings or for any statistical totals.

New York’s Satou Sabally has also been ruled out for Tuesday’s game as she remains in concussion protocol.