Aces lose to Mystics with reigning MVP A'ja Wilson out with wrist injury

Callie Fin, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jul 10, 2025

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The Las Vegas Aces lost, 70-68, to the Washington Mystics at EagleBank Arena on Thursday with the reigning WNBA MVP watching from the bench with a right wrist sprain.

The Mystics ended the game on a 12-2 run to erase the Aces’ 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. Guard Jackie Young missed a layup with 1.2 seconds left that would have tied the game.

A’ja Wilson was ruled out after getting hurt in the Aces’ loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday. Guard Jewell Loyd led the team with 20 points in Wilson’s absence Thursday, while point guard Chelsea Gray scored 13 points. Guard Dava Evans had 11 points off the bench and Young scored 10.

Brittney Sykes had 18 points for the Mystics (10-10), who are 2-1 against the Aces (9-11) this season. The teams will meet again in Las Vegas on Aug. 23.

Coach Becky Hammon said there is no timeline for Wilson’s return.

“I don’t have many details,” Hammon said. “It’s sprained. Nothing’s broken.”

Wilson, 28, was hurt after going down hard on a drive to the basket in the first half Tuesday. She underwent an MRI on Wednesday and was listed as questionable on the team’s injury report.

Wilson was seen wearing a black wrist brace as she participated in her team’s shootaround Thursday morning at EagleBank Arena. She was ruled out soon after.

“My conversations with her are, ‘Let’s just let it heal correctly the first time, so we’re not dealing with it all year,’ ” Hammon said. “Obviously, she’s a competitor. She cares about this team and wants to be a part of everything that goes on. But unfortunately sometimes as a coach, you just have to make the bigger judgment call and go against their competitive nature and just sit them, because that’s what’s best. Doesn’t feel good in the moment for them or me, but her health is more important than any one game.”

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 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.