Just as the Sun’s Cinderella run was peaking, Connecticut lost one of its start players to injury.
Alyssa Thomas left Game 2 of the Sun’s semifinals series against the Las Vegas Aces after falling to the floor in the first quarter and clutching her shoulder. She left the court in visible pain and was taken to get an MRI.
As of Tuesday night, the team believes she could have a dislocated shoulder, according to The Hartford Courant’s Alexa Philippou.
Results of the test have yet to come in, but head coach Curt Miller fears the worst. He said Thomas remains in “a great deal of pain” and still needs a sling for support.
“We’re planning moving ahead without her,” he told reporters Wednesday afternoon, per Philippou, adding its more of a day-by-day kind of situation.”
Briann January just wants her team to stay on track.
“The focus doesn’t change. We can’t sit there and dwell on it,” the Sun guard said, via Philippou. “I know, and everybody else knew on our team, that (Thomas) would want us to fight until the final horn. That’s what we did. We kept our focus the same one possession at a time, executing our schemes. … We kept our mindset where we would have had it, (Thomas) there or not, but we’re out there fighting for her. That’s one of our teammates down, and we’re out there fighting for her.”
Thomas averaged 16.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in just over three games for the Sun this postseason. Her presence will be missed on both sides of the court, with Beatrice Mompremier stepping up to help fill her shoes in Game 2.
What will the Sun’s starting lineup look like without The Engine? Tune in to Thursday’s game, which tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET, to see.
