On Tuesday night against the New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson exited the game in the second quarter with a wrist injury. She did not return in the second half and is set to have an MRI on Wednesday.
Even with Vegas struggling this season, Wilson remains one of the league's two best players, and you can make a strong argument that she's not second. The Aces have struggled to produce consistent results because of the supporting cast, but Wilson is still doing everything she needs to do to win basketball games. Being without her for any amount of time is awful news for Vegas.
If there's a silver lining for Vegas, it's that the team just traded for NaLyssa Smith, who has played well since entering the Aces' starting lineup. She won't make up for what they potentially lose with a Wilson injury, but she is still a huge upgrade over what Vegas would have had going behind Wilson before the trade.
Overall, the decision to trade a 2027 first-round pick for Smith will still likely haunt the team down the line, but it might at least help the franchise salvage something if Wilson winds up missing time.
NaLyssa Smith has played well for the Aces
The decision to trade for NaLyssa Smith felt baffling at the time. I'm not here to do historical revisionism and say that it was actually a brilliant move — it still feels like a short-sighted trade that sacrifices future flexibility for a short-term boost for a team that looks increasingly unlikely to be a real title contender.
With that said, Smith has looked pretty good for Vegas! It's an obviously small two-game sample, but since replacing Kiah Stokes in the starting lineup, Smith is averaging 11.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on 75.0 percent shooting. She's giving Vegas something Stokes could never give, which is actual offensive production at the five. Smith deserves credit for fitting in well with the Aces.
If Wilson misses time, Smith will allow Vegas to continue getting offense from its frontcourt. Prior to the trade, Vegas would have been in huge trouble here, as the team would have likely needed to give heavy minutes to Elizabeth Kitley, who isn't even on the roster anymore. It would have been a disaster.
Smith helps them avoid such a disaster. She won't make up for Wilson entirely, because there's no player in the WNBA who can do that, but having someone who can make shots in the frontcourt will keep this team from bottoming out.
Like I said, I still don't agree with this trade in principle, but it does appear to be having a positive impact on the Aces right now, especially in light of a potential Wilson injury. Smith's a great option to have in this thin frontcourt and has done her best work of the year since joining Vegas.