NEW YORK (AP) — Las Vegas star Aja Wilson has been ruled out of the Commissioner Cup final against New York on Tuesday night because of a right leg injury.
The four-time MVP rolled her ankle in the fourth quarter of the Aces' win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday. She came back into the game after a quick trip to the locker room.
“It’s when you get off the court that you realize you probably tweaked it a little worse than you originally thought," Aces coach Becky Hammon said at shootaround Tuesday.
Hammon said that it's just a tweak and that Wilson should need “a few days to move.”
Wilson, who leads the league in scoring at 25.7 points a game, has been remarkably durable in her career. She's now only missed seven games since the 2020 season.
Besides her scoring, defense and rebounding are two areas that Hammon said the Aces will need to focus on against the Liberty, who beat Las Vegas on the road last week.
“Everybody's got to be that much better," Aces guard Chelsea Gray said. “It’s no secret, she’s a big, huge part of our team. She's the best player in the world. Let’s, let’s lock in for this one game and do what we have to do.”
The Aces are no stranger to having to play the Liberty short-handed in big games. Gray and Kiah Stokes were hurt in the 2023 WNBA Finals and the Aces beat New York without them.
“Focusing on ourselves, that’s really the thing,” said New York star Breanna Stewart. “This is one game, winner takes all and you never know what’s going to happen in one game. We need to make sure that we’re our best tonight.”
New York will be missing Satou Sabally, who is in concussion protocol after unintentionally getting hit in the face by an elbow against the Aces.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) grabs a rebound over Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
LONDON (AP) — Australia cruised into yet another Women's Twenty20 World Cup final after hammering the West Indies by eight wickets at The Oval on Tuesday.
The West Indies made 125-7 and the inadequacy of that total was exposed by Australia hunting it down with seven overs to spare.
Opener Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner partnered in the seventh over of the chase and smoked the bowlers in an unbeaten combination of 63 runs from 37 balls for a winning 127-2.
Mooney had 61 from 36 balls and her eighth T20 World Cup fifty, tied for the most with New Zealand's Suzie Bates. Gardner had 35 from 20 and the winning runs from a fourth boundary flicked off her pads.
Undefeated Australia will chase its seventh T20 World Cup crown in its eighth final in 10 tournaments. At Lord’s on Sunday it will face host England or South Africa. Their semifinal is on Thursday at The Oval.
“The T20 World Cup, you just have to ride it. It's full of momentum, swings,” Australia captain Sophie Molineux said. “The group's really enjoyed it and that's the important thing.”
The West Indies was shaken moments before the semifinal when allrounder Deandra Dottin was helped off the field by teammates after the anthems. “To see her almost passing out during the national anthems was a bit scary,” captain Hayley Matthews said.
Australia lost Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield in the powerplay but was relieved by Mooney taking 18 runs, including four boundaries — half her total — from Jahzara Claxton's first and only bowled over in the tournament.
Ellyse Perry retired hurt on 2 out of precaution for a quad issue. Molineux said she should be OK for the final. Gardner replaced Perry and ended up as the player of the match.
The allrounder's earlier off-spin took 2-13, removing Claxton and Stafanie Taylor in the 11th over to hasten the West Indies' demise.
The West Indies' only two wins over Australia in 19 previous T20s starred Matthews with 66 runs in the 2016 World Cup final and 132 in Sydney in 2023. Matthews made 30 from 28 this time, the pressure on her building while opening partner Qiana Joseph was eating deliveries. Joseph had 8 from 19 at one point and was out after Matthews for 16 from 22.
Dottin's absence made a good start by the West Indies vital. But it was six down by the time Dottin appeared. She smacked an unbeaten 16-ball 26 in front of a crowd of 10,023 in an afternoon start required by India officials, who anticipated India qualifying. But India was eliminated by Australia on Sunday.
Supporting Gardner against the West Indies were Molineux with 2-30 and Georgia Wareham, who bowled Matthews in her 2-17.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's Ashleigh Gardner, second from right, celebrates with teammates the wicket of West Indies' Stafanie Taylor during the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup semifinal between Australia and West Indies in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Australia's Georgia Wareham celebrates the wicket of West Indies' captain Hayley Matthews during the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup semifinal between Australia and West Indies in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Australia's Ashleigh Gardner hits a six during the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup semifinal between Australia and West Indies in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Australia's Beth Mooney plays a shot during the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup semifinal between Australia and West Indies in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
