Aces star ‘questionable’ after getting MRI on wrist injury
Updated July 9, 2025 - 5:47 pm
Aces star A’ja Wilson was listed as questionable with a right wrist injury on the team’s injury report Wednesday, a day ahead of its road game against the Washington Mystics.
Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, went down hard on a drive to the basket in the first half of the Aces’ 87-78 loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday at Barclays Center.
Wilson, 28, remained on the court in pain for a while. Her teammates shielded her from cameras until she was able to get up on her own. Liberty guard Natasha Cloud was one of the players who rushed to Wilson after the fall, giving towels to Aces players so they could provide some cover.
Wilson briefly returned to the game because “she’s a competitor” and refused to allow her team to use one of its timeouts to substitute her out, coach Becky Hammon said.
Hammon also told reporters that Wilson would undergo an MRI, which would diagnose any soft tissue injuries to her muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage.
Wilson thanked the Liberty and her teammates in a social media post on Threads that confirmed she underwent imaging Wednesday morning.
“Welp! Nothing wakes you up like the sound of an MRI machine lol! but just wanna say thank you all for prayers! NYL thank you sooooo much for the quick help &privacy. I truly appreciate it,” Wilson wrote. “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 leads the Aces in almost every statistical category this season, including points (20.7), rebounds (8.7), steals (1.7) and blocks (2.4) per game.
She ranks second in the WNBA in points and rebounds per game, is tied for fourth in steals per game and is tied for first in blocks per game with Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith.
Wilson missed three games earlier this season after sustaining a concussion in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on June 11. The Aces went 2-1 in her absence.
“She absolutely does not want to sit out or go out of a game,” Hammon said Tuesday. “But then, there’s the reality of physically what happens out there. … Our season is bigger than just this one game, so we want to make sure she’s good to go and not put her at any risk for injury or anything damaging.”
Wilson is a starter for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and was selected to play for captain Caitlin Clark’s team Tuesday, along with Aces guard Jackie Young.
It’s unclear if she will still be available for the event, which takes place July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Gustafson could return
While Wilson’s status is uncertain, the Aces could get center Megan Gustafson back against the Mystics.
Gustafson, who has not played this season after suffering a Grade 3 ankle sprain in training camp, was listed as “probable” on the Aces’ injury report for the first time this year Wednesday.
Gustafson, 28, averaged 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game last season.
Contact Callie Fin at [email protected]. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.
Up next
Who: Aces at Mystics
When: 4:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Va.
TV/Radio: KMCC-34, Prime Video; KKGK (1340 AM, 98.9 FM)