The Las Vegas Aces are facing a crucial Game 2 in their semifinals series against the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday. They are trailing Golden State 1-0 in the series after losing Game 1 on Sunday, 71-60.
What made matters worse for the Aces was the apparent injury suffered by star guard Jewell Lloyd that forced her to leave the game in the second half. She appeared to sustain a left leg injury in the first half. Las Vegas forward Stephani Talbot didn't play either in Game 1.
Hammon is still waiting for an official word on the status of Talbot and Loyd from the team's medical staff, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN, who also noted that Tuesday's practice saw both players ramping up their activities.
“We’re trying to ramp them up, but now we’ve got to see how they feel and recover off of this little workout,” the 49-year-old Hammon said.
Loyd didn't score in Game 1, going 0-for-2 from the floor with two rebounds and an assist and a turnover in 17 minutes of action, though she was the only starter with a positive plus/minus, coming away with a +2.
Article Continues BelowA'ja Wilson led Las Vegas in the series opener with 24 points, but she had to take 21 shots from the field to get there, and she also only grabbed four rebounds. Chelsea Gray added 16 points, but she also struggled with efficiency, going 5-for-14 from the floor.
Even with a seemingly banged up roster at the moment, the Aces know they have to take Game 2 to avoid getting into a much more difficult spot in this best-of-five series. For what it's worth, Las Vegas swept the Valkyries in three games during the regular season.