SAN FRANCISCO -- As the Las Vegas Aces try to even their WNBA semifinals series against the Golden State Valkyries at one game apiece Wednesday, they will have to do it without guard Jewell Loyd.
Loyd was ruled out on Wednesday afternoon due to a left leg injury.
Loyd sustained the injury in the third quarter of Game 1 on Sunday and missed the final two quarters in Las Vegas' 71-60 loss.
While she isn't a high-volume scorer for the Aces, Loyd is an important offensive weapon and does provide them with important supplementary scoring. The Aces' depth has already been slashed this postseason, with Dana Evans and Stephanie Talbot sidelined, and NaLyssa Smith done for the season. In Game 1, Las Vegas' bench was outscored 27-7.
Evans, however, was upgraded to probable hours before tipoff Wednesday.
"At some point, I just wish we would get healthy, but it is what it is," coach Becky Hammon said ahead of Game 1.
After the game, in which Loyd was ruled out in the third quarter, Hammon added, "You've just got to go with who is sitting on that bench. We don't have a lot of time to sulk about it. Nobody feels bad for us. It's the next woman up."
Hammon said she had a few different game plans to put in place, depending on who would be available in Wednesday's game. But either way, the Aces will rely heavily on their big three of A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young.
In Game 1, Wilson finished with 25 points but did so on an inefficient 8-of-21 shooting.
"One thing I know about A'ja is she doesn't have back-to-back games where she struggles," Hammon said after shootaround.
Hammon said the Aces view Game 2 as a must-win, saying they cannot return to Las Vegas down 0-2 in a best-of-five series. She added, though, that this team has dropped multiple opening games of semifinals -- and other playoff series -- and has been in worse situations.