The WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago on Saturday, July 26, faces significant uncertainty as two of the league's brightest young stars — Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings and Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream — suffered injuries on Sunday, July 19.
Bueckers was involved in a violent collision with Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike during the fourth quarter of Dallas's game against Los Angeles. The second-year guard exited the game and did not return. The Wings confirmed that Bueckers has since cleared concussion protocol, but she remained sore and was held out of Monday night's matchup against New York.
Reese's injury came during the Dream's win over the Chicago Sky on the same day. As she jump-stopped toward the basket, her left knee buckled, sending her to the floor. Reese initially got up but collapsed again moments later. She was escorted to the bench and did not return to action. The Dream enter the All-Star break with no games scheduled, giving Reese time to recover.
Reese, voted an All-Star reserve by the league's coaches, has been dominant in her second WNBA season. She leads the league in rebounds per game (11.8) and double-doubles (14), while averaging 14.9 points per contest.
If either Bueckers or Reese is unable to play on Saturday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will appoint a replacement. Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces is another All-Star whose status remains uncertain, having missed nearly a month with a lower leg injury.
The injury cloud arrives amid a stellar run of form for several All-Stars. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named AP Player of the Week after averaging 25 points, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals, leading the Fever to a 2-1 week. Clark made history by becoming the first player in WNBA history to record a 40-point game with at least 10 assists in the Fever's win over Seattle.
The All-Star Game tips off Saturday at 8:30 PM ET at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, with the league hoping its brightest stars will be healthy enough to take the floor.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/wnba-all-star-injuries-b54726710ef2d4029ab81faa23ae336d
