Wilson to undergo MRI after suffering wrist injury in loss to Liberty

The Aces will wait for an update on A’ja Wilson’s status after she suffered a right wrist injury in the first half of the team’s 87-78 loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday at Barclays Center.

Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, went down hard on a drive to the basket with 4:13 left in the first half. She 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.

Wilson shot two free throws for her only points of the game and continued to play for a few more possessions, but then exited for good with two minutes left in the second quarter.

She eventually returned to the bench in her signature white T-shirt with a black wrap on her right wrist.

Aces coach Becky Hammon, in a downbeat postgame news conference, said Wilson will get an MRI on Wednesday morning.

“It is what it is,” Hammon said. “Obviously, she changes the whole dynamic on both ends of the floor for us. You’re never gonna replace your diamond, for sure not (with) one person or two.”

Jackie Young led the Aces (9-10) with 19 points in Wilson’s absence. Reserve guard Dana Evans added 16 points off the bench.

Guard Sabrina Ionescu had 28 points for the Liberty (13-6). The Aces are now 1-8 against New York since the beginning of last season, a stretch that includes their semifinal loss to the Liberty in last year’s playoffs.

The Aces next face the Washington Mystics on Thursday to wrap up a five-game road trip.

Wilson missed three games earlier this season with a concussion, and the team went 2-1 in her absence.

Here are three takeaways from the Aces’ third loss in five games:

1. Winnable game

The Aces, with the Liberty down two injured starters in guard Natasha Cloud (hip) and center Jonquel Jones (ankle), opened the game like a team on a mission.

They ended the second quarter on a 10-2 run and led 42-40 at halftime. The Aces were pushed during that stretch by Wilson’s competitive spirit. Hammon said Wilson refused to let her team use a timeout to get her out of the game.

The Aces took a 49-42 lead when point guard Chelsea Gray hit a stepback jumper 2:23 into the third quarter. Gray then had back-to-back turnovers minutes later, and giveaways proved to be the Aces’ undoing.

They had seven turnovers in the fourth quarter and the Liberty ended the game on a 17-6 run.

“We had our moments that we could have shifted the momentum of that game. Instead, (the Liberty took) those little moments, those 50-50, balls, the hustle balls. They got on the glass, they started turning us over. That’s a lot of energy and momentum to overcome,” Hammon said.

Hammon added she’ll be OK with the loss if her team learns from it.

“I still look at this as a game that we could have stolen, so it’s a bummer that opportunity slipped away,” Hammon said. “That’s a team that’s better than us right now.”

2. All-Star implications

Wilson and Young, the Aces’ two All-Stars, were selected to play for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s team at this year’s event at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on July 19.

Clark and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier are team captains and took turns drafting their squads Tuesday.

Wilson, a seven-time All-Star, was previously named a starter and was selected fifth overall in the draft. Her status for the event is now unclear after her injury.

Young, who was selected by the WNBA’s coaches as a reserve, is making her fourth All-Star appearance. She was taken with the 18th pick in the draft.

Liberty coach Sandy Brondello will coach Clark’s team, while Collier’s will be led by Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.

3. Dana Evans finding fit

Evans, who was acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Chicago Sky, scored a season-high 18 points in the Aces’ win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday and had another strong game Tuesday.

She commended her teammates and coaches for building her confidence.

“They’ve had my back, so I just wanted to go out there and be the best for them,” Evans said. “We’re just building. I feel like it’s not resulting in wins all the time, but we’ve been seeing progress. … So we’re just gonna keep stacking days. We’re not gonna give up. We got what it takes, and we will figure it out.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.