The Las Vegas Aces will be without four-time MVP A’ja Wilson for Tuesday night’s Commissioner’s Cup Championship against the New York Liberty in Brooklyn, with the team confirming she’s been ruled out due to a right leg injury. This will mark just the seventh game Wilson has missed over the past seven seasons, underscoring how significant her absence is for a player who has been one of the most durable stars in the league.
How the Injury Happened
The injury traces back to Sunday’s win over the Chicago Sky. In the fourth quarter, Wilson deflected a pass and jumped to secure the ball; as she landed, her right ankle rolled and she collapsed to the ground, silencing the United Center crowd. She immediately grabbed her ankle and stayed down briefly before getting up and limping back to the locker room.
Remarkably, she didn’t stay out long. Wilson returned with 7:05 remaining and went on to score 10 of her 30 points down the stretch, helping the Aces close out a 107-99 road victory — finishing with 30 points and 15 rebounds, a WNBA-record eighth time in her career she’s reached that stat line.
Postgame, Wilson sounded optimistic. “It’s good, I’m working on it. Obviously I have it taped up and everything,” she said. “It’s just one of those things. I’m feeling pretty good right now.” On the broadcast, she added that the ankle would “snap back” with treatment.
From Questionable to Out
That confidence didn’t immediately translate to clearance. The Aces first listed Wilson on the injury report with a right leg injury and questionable status for Tuesday’s championship, leaving her availability uncertain through Monday. By Tuesday, the team made it official, ruling her out entirely for the title game against New York.
What It Means for the Aces
Losing Wilson is a major blow given her production this season. She entered the week leading the league in scoring at 25.7 points per game, sitting fourth in rebounding at 9.4 per game, and tied for first in blocks at 2.0 per game — numbers that have her firmly in the conversation for a fifth MVP award. With Wilson sidelined, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, NaLyssa Smith and Stephanie Talbot are expected to see increased playing time as Las Vegas tries to fill the void in the paint.
A High-Stakes Matchup Either Way
The timing stings for the Aces, who are chasing history. A win Tuesday would make either franchise the first to win the Commissioner’s Cup twice since the tournament began in 2021. The game also carries postseason implications — five of the ten teams to reach a Cup championship have gone on to meet again in the WNBA Finals that same season, and Tuesday’s matchup features nine former All-Stars and the winners of the league’s past six MVP awards, including Wilson, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart.
New York won’t be at full strength either. Liberty forward Satou Sabally remains in concussion protocol and is also ruled out, marking her third straight missed game. The financial stakes are real for both rosters: the winning team splits a pool with each player earning $30,000, the losing team’s players each get $10,000, the Cup MVP earns an extra $10,000, and a final $10,000 goes to a charity chosen by the winning team.
With its biggest star out, Las Vegas will need a collective effort to top a Liberty team that beat them 87-76 just last week and has won four of its last five games. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
