Las Vegas is used to looking like an undefeated team at home this year, but the Sunday match between Las Vegas and Indiana showed just how quickly things could change once one of the key players is absent from the team.

The Aces suffered an 84-68 defeat to the Fever, with their leading player, A'ja Wilson, being forced out due to an injury to her right ankle, and the loss triggered pointed criticism from WNBA analyst Rosalina Lee.

"The offensive rebounds for the Aces tonight were just terrible," Lee said on her YouTube channel. "They were 6-13. Defensive rebounds 26-24. Overall, they just dominated on the glass over the Aces. And that's something that A'ja Wilson does for the team and pays off in dividends."

Lee's frustration lines up with the numbers. Wilson is leading the team in total rebounds with 9.4 and offensive rebounds with 1.9 per game, with a big helping hand from NaLyssa Smith, who is grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game for the team. In one game when Wilson wasn’t playing, Las Vegas struggled heavily.

That rebounding gap wasn't the only issue on Sunday. The head coach of the Aces spoke more about this matter in the post-game interview.

"We've had to play small a little bit more," Becky Hammon said. "We've had to scrap. But it's not just A'ja's points, it's her gravity, it's her pull, it's how her presence gets other people open."

Hammon's comment points to something the stat sheet backs up. Las Vegas shot just 40% from the field, its second-lowest mark of the season, while allowing Indiana 70 attempts to their own 55.

This isn't an isolated slump either. The Aces were also outmuscled on the boards by New York in the Commissioner's Cup finals, another game Wilson missed.

Since Las Vegas is now 1-2 without her in their last three games, it seems as though what she was experiencing was more a dependency than bad luck.

That dependency brings up the question of when Wilson will be returning to the game, and Hammon spoke on that topic at the game's start.

Becky Hammon Provides Update on A'ja Wilson's Recovery Timeline

Wilson missed her third straight game due to an injury to her right ankle, while Hammon was very clear that the time frame is not based on how the injury currently looks.

"I think if it was a playoff game, she most likely would have played," Hammon said before tipoff.

This is one statement that tells a lot. The Aces are not delaying her because she cannot play but because there is no need to hurry her at all. In fact, Hammon went on to add something else.

"I'm not letting her play," Hammon said, making clear this was a coaching decision rather than a physical limitation on Wilson's part.

Her numbers explain why Las Vegas is being careful. Wilson is averaging 25.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals a game this season, production that simply can't be replicated by committee.

The Aces now head to Portland on Thursday before returning home to face Phoenix, with Wilson's timeline still the biggest storyline surrounding the team.

Comment down when you think Wilson makes her return.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta