Aces’ A’ja Wilson (ankle) sits out, but has no long-term concerns

NEW YORK — Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson has been ruled out of Sunday’s crucial game against the New York Liberty after injuring her right ankle in the final minute of her team’s win over the Connecticut Sun on Friday.

Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon described the injury as a painful one and said there are no long-term concerns after Wilson underwent scans. They did say they are taking it easy with her and will see how she feels ahead of the Aces’ next game on Wednesday against the Indiana Fever.

“There’s never a good time, but she’ll get a couple of days to get her ankle right and get some rest,” Hammon said, referring to the team’s approach with Wilson as “very precautionary.”

Wilson was spotted walking into the Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon wearing a running shoe.

Hammon said the Aces will start Megan Gustafson and Alysha Clark, joining their usual starting backcourt of Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young.

Wilson has been remarkably durable during her WNBA career, with her last game coming in 2019. Her 172 consecutive games through Sunday marked the longest active streak in the league.

“She’s super competitive. She loves to compete and she takes super good care of her body,” Hammon said. “She makes all the decisions off the court that you never see or hear about to put her in the best position to be at her best every night. And that’s a true professional … and she’s tough. I mean, she plays through fatigue. She plays through some aches and pains, and not everybody has the opportunity to do that.”

Wilson is the odds-on favorite for MVP, averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game this season. That average is on pace to become the highest for a single season in league history. She is also 11 points shy of setting a new record for most points scored in a WNBA season and 71 points shy of reaching 1,000.

Wilson’s absence comes after Young (rest) and Plum (ankle) were both also held out of competition in the past two weeks. Young, Plum, Wilson and Gray all competed for Team USA in the Olympics, an experience that Hammon said has taken a toll on the athletes both physically and mentally.

The two-time reigning champions are 22-12 this year, fourth in the standings and looking for their first win this season over top-ranked Liberty. New York defeated the Aces twice earlier this season in Las Vegas.

“They all love A’ja. They love A’ja,” Hammon said of the team. “So I think they want to do a great job for her when she’s not here, support her the best they can. Go out there, play hard, compete and see what happens.”