Two of the WNBA’s Biggest Stars Are Out. Here’s What That Means for Sunday’s Aces-Fever Game.

Sunday’s matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and the Indiana Fever was supposed to be a showcase. A’ja Wilson versus Caitlin Clark. Two MVP-caliber players, two teams trying to figure things out in a long season. Instead, neither will be on the floor.

Wilson has already been ruled out with a right ankle injury. It’ll be her third straight game on the sideline. Clark, dealing with a back issue, announced earlier this week she’s not playing either. So the headline for Sunday is basically: two superstars in street clothes.

How A’ja Wilson got hurt

Wilson rolled her right ankle late in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s win over the Chicago Sky. She tried to come back after getting treatment but hasn’t played since. That includes the Commissioner’s Cup championship game and Friday’s overtime win against the Sky, where Wilson sat on the bench in a protective boot.

Before that game, Aces coach Becky Hammon was blunt about the situation. “She’s tough,” Hammon said, via ESPN. “I want to protect her as much as possible. She really wants to play, and we’re not going to rush.”

Hammon called the recovery a “day by day” thing and said she doesn’t think it’ll become a long-term issue. But the Aces are being careful. That makes sense for a franchise player who’s been remarkably durable — Wilson missed only eight games over the previous seven seasons before this stretch.

What the Aces are missing

Before the injury, Wilson was putting together another MVP-type season. She leads the WNBA in scoring at 25.7 points per game. She’s first in blocks at two per game. Third in rebounding at 9.4. Those aren’t easy numbers to replace, and the Aces have felt her absence even if they managed to beat the Sky in overtime Friday.

The Aces’ injury report also lists Dana Evans (out, leg) and Janiah Barker (out, leg). So depth is getting tested.

And the Fever are banged up too

Indiana is dealing with its own issues. Caitlin Clark’s back injury has kept her out, and the Fever haven’t set a timeline for her return. Clark has been a major story all season, so her absence takes some of the national spotlight off this game.

The Fever’s offense without Clark has been uneven. But Sunday gives other players a chance to step up against a shorthanded Aces team. It’s not going to be the showdown everyone circled on the calendar, but it’s still a meaningful game for both sides in the standings.

For now, the question is when Wilson gets back on the court. The Aces keep saying they won’t rush it. With the playoffs still weeks away, there’s no reason to force it.