Aces lose star wing for season to ACL injury
Aces wing Angel McCoughtry will miss the 2021 WNBA season with a torn ACL and meniscus in her right knee, she announced through the team Monday afternoon.
McCoughtry suffered the injury in the first quarter of a scrimmage Saturday against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Los Angeles Convention Center. She landed awkwardly after securing an offensive rebound and was helped off the floor.
The 34-year-old tore the ACL in her left knee late in the 2018 season and said in a statement that her injury Saturday was “eerily similar” to her first knee injury.
“Initially, every negative thought came to my head,” McCoughtry said. “Then I realized … this game has been such a blessing to me and so has God. I will conquer this challenge even better than last time.”
McCoughtry is one of the best players in WNBA history and had an immeasurable impact on the Aces last season as a free agent signee. She spent the first 10 years of her career with the Atlanta Dream, and missed the 2019 season while recovering from her first knee injury.
She returned last year to average 14.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field. Her leadership and experience also helped propel the Aces to the WNBA Finals, and she averaged 15.5 points a game in eight playoff games.
The Aces are the deepest team in the league and feature multiple players who could fill McCoughtry’s void on the wing, a la super sub and reigning two-time Sixth Woman of the Year Dearica Hamby and third-year guard Jackie Young.
But there is no replacing a player like McCoughtry, who holds career averages of 18.8 points and 5.0 rebounds — and whose honors include six All-WNBA selections, five All-Star selections and seven All-Defensive team selections.
“I will recover and fight my way back to the court,” she said. “I still have tons of basketball to play, God has ALWAYS delivered for me … and it’s not over yet!”
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
