RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Team USA looked like a dominant roster heading into the FIBA Women's World Cup, but has recently received disappointing news regarding two of the team's top stars.
Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson and Phoenix Mercury star Kelsey Plum will no longer compete in the upcoming tournament due to health reasons, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou . Plum will also reportedly miss the remainder of the Mercury season as she recovers from her lower leg injury.
Plum's team is already eliminated from playoff contention, making her withdrawal a wise move to ensure she doesn't do any further damage with just a handful of games left on the schedule. She was just traded from the Los Angeles Sparks to Phoenix at the start of the month.
It appears that Wilson is making a smart move because her team will be in the postseason, looking to repeat as champions. The Las Vegas Aces (27-13) are currently third in the WNBA standings, trailing the Golden State Valkyries and Minnesota Lynx.
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While Wilson doesn't have any reported injury, she appears to be resting and recovering from her WNBA workload ahead of the WNBA Playoffs. The Aces still have four games remaining on their regular season schedule, which resumes on Sept. 17 at the Seattle Storm.
There are already replacements named for Wilson and Plum. ESPN's Philippou reported that the Washington Mystics' Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen will fill their roster spots at the FIBA Women's World Cup.
While both Iriafen and Citron participated in U.S. camps for the team this past winter, only Iriafen was part of the American team that won its qualifier in Puerto Rico. Citron missed playing due to an injury, so the FIBA tournament will be her national team debut in Germany.
Clearly losing All-Stars Plum and Wilson is significant, especially with one of them considered a frontrunner to win a record fifth MVP award. Wilson has been having another standout season.
In addition, both players are former teammates not only for the Las Vegas Aces but also from previous Team USA competitions at the Olympics. They were on the Team USA roster that captured gold at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, with Wilson named MVP.
Still, Team USA looks like a powerhouse even without Wilson and Plum playing. Among other stars on the roster are the Dallas Wings' Paige Bueckers, the Atlanta Dream's Angel Reese, the Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier, and the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
Team USA opens play at the FIBA Women's World Cup on Friday against China, which features considerable size in the frontcourt, including 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu.
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For more about the WNBA, head over to Newsweek Sports .
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