Aces clarify A'ja Wilson's status entering must-win playoff game

The Las Vegas Aces' 17-game winning streak -- and their shot at sweeping the Seattle Storm in the first round of the WNBA playoffs -- came to a dramatic halt on Tuesday, when a furious fourth-quarter rally saw the Storm force a winner-take-all Game 3 at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Thursday night.

The Storm, last semifinalists in 2022, now stand in the way of the Aces reaching the final four for the seventh season running. And Seattle's chances of a stunning upset may improve if Vegas' superstar big A'ja Wilson is limited in Game 3.

MORE: Dominique Malonga absolutely dominated the Aces during Storm's wild comeback

Fans on social media have called Wilson's status into question, noting that the three-time MVP looked "banged-up" during Game 2 in Seattle. Wilson has been seen with tape and protection on her shooting arm, and it was only two months ago when Wilson sprained her right wrist during a game against the New York Liberty, which forced her to miss a game.

Still worried about A’ja being banged up. Don’t know if it’s the elbow, shoulder, wrist or a combination but pregame in Atlanta she was shooting with tape on her elbow, then in the first playoff game she had something on her wrist/arm, then she moved it to her shoulder. pic.twitter.com/4rZ3gVURzj

However, Wilson is not listed on the Aces' injury report entering Game 3, meaning the league's newly-minted co-Defensive Player of the Year should be ready to go from the opening tip at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Wilson, who is a strong candidate to win an unprecedented fourth WNBA MVP award, is averaging 25.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in the playoffs. She was the league's scoring champion at 23.4 points per game during the regular season, helping the Aces overcome a 14-14 start to qualify for the postseason as the #2 seed. 

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