Las Vegas Aces forward Stephanie Talbot talked about the impact of NaLyssa Smith’s injury to the team.
On Monday, Smith suffered a left knee injury in their road game against the Toronto Tempo after catching the ball on a fast break in the third quarter.
She looked in considerable pain while holding her knee and was eventually carried off the court. The 6-foot-4 forward never returned to the game.
There has been no official update from the Aces regarding Smith’s current status. Talbot discussed the implications of her injury during the team’s practice on Wednesday.
According to the eighth-year veteran, losing Smith to the injury will leave a massive hole for the team to fill.
“I mean, unfortunately, injuries are part of it, and Lys is a massive blow to us,” Talbot said. “She’s been awesome for us on the boards, in the paint, doing all the little things.”
Smith had eight points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from the field with eight boards, one assist and two steals before she went down with the injury. She’s also the team’s fifth-best scorer with 11.7 points this season.
Talbot, however, remained optimistic about how the Aces will deal with this adversity.
“In the short term, I think we’re all just going to have to step up a little bit more while we figure out the plan moving forward,” she said.
The extent of Smith’s injury is still unknown, and the team has not provided a timetable for her return.
Nevertheless, the Aces remain one of the favorites to win the title and potentially secure back-to-back championships for the second time in franchise history.
