The Las Vegas Aces are down 1-0 in their series against the Golden State Valkyries, and they have a chance to tie the series in Game 2. Unfortunately, it may be a little harder to do so, as Jewell Loyd went down in Game 1 after suffering a left leg injury.
Loyd was inserted into the Aces' starting lineup during the first round against the Indiana Fever and was a key reason for them advancing. Heading into Game 2, Loyd is still on the injury report, and it's uncertain if she'll be available to play or if she'll be ruled out.
As of now, here is Loyd's status hours before the game.
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Jewell Loyd's injury status vs. Valkyries
Loyd is listed as doubtful against the Valkyries, and that means it's more than likely she won't play. That's not the best news for the Aces, as they'll need as much offensive firepower against one of the best defenses in the league. The Valkyries made it a low-scoring game against the Aces in Game 1, and only gave up 60 points. If that's going to be the case for the rest of the series, the Aces will be playing into their opponent's hands.
Earlier in the week, head coach Becky Hammon had an update for Loyd, as well as Stephanie Talbot, who didn't play in Game 1 because of an injury.
Article Continues Below“We’re trying to ramp them up, but now we’ve got to see how they feel and recover off of this little workout,” Hammon said.
If the Aces are able to get one or both of those players back for the series, that would be a big boost for their team. Talbot is questionable for Game 2, so there is a chance that she returns soon.
The Aces don't want to go down 0-2 in a best of 3 series, so coming out fast will be important for them.