'%3e%3cpath%20d='M34.1406%205.85938C30.3906%202.10547%2025.3047%200%2020%200C14.6953%200%209.60938%202.10547%205.85938%205.85938C2.10938%209.61328%200%2014.6953%200%2020C0%2025.3047%202.10547%2030.3906%205.85938%2034.1406C9.61328%2037.8906%2014.6953%2040%2020%2040C25.3047%2040%2030.3906%2037.8945%2034.1406%2034.1406C37.8906%2030.3906%2040%2025.3047%2040%2020C40%2014.6953%2037.8945%209.60938%2034.1406%205.85938ZM37.0117%2023.543H31.1602V13.5391H27.6328V19.9414C28.1211%2020.6914%2028.3711%2021.582%2028.3711%2022.5625V22.625C28.3711%2023.668%2028.1172%2024.6055%2027.6328%2025.4297V26.6094H36.082C33.4883%2032.9375%2027.2891%2037.3789%2020.0039%2037.3789C10.3711%2037.3789%202.62109%2029.6289%202.62109%2020C2.62109%2010.3711%2010.3711%202.62109%2020%202.62109C29.6289%202.62109%2037.3789%2010.3711%2037.3789%2020C37.3789%2021.1484%2037.2617%2022.2656%2037.0508%2023.3477C37.0391%2023.4141%2037.0234%2023.4766%2037.0117%2023.543Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M22.3086%2018.5352C20.4336%2018.125%2019.9531%2017.8398%2019.9766%2017.1836V17.1406C19.9766%2016.6992%2020.3477%2016.2148%2021.4023%2016.2148C22.582%2016.2148%2023.8867%2016.6797%2025.0781%2017.4766L26.8516%2015.0195C25.4453%2013.8906%2023.707%2013.3398%2021.5547%2013.3398C18.5195%2013.3398%2016.4375%2015%2016.4063%2017.4766V17.5352C16.3633%2020.2617%2018.5859%2020.9805%2021.293%2021.6016C23.0391%2021.9766%2023.5703%2022.3164%2023.5703%2022.9609L23.5469%2022.9766C23.5469%2023.3906%2023.2578%2023.7031%2022.7852%2023.8359C22.5742%2023.9062%2022.1289%2023.9727%2021.5156%2023.9727C20.7617%2023.9727%2019.7539%2023.8633%2018.6328%2023.4844C18.0898%2023.2891%2017.4727%2023.0039%2016.8047%2022.6133L20.1406%2026.625C20.2813%2026.6602%2021.0977%2026.8516%2021.7734%2026.8516C25.0039%2026.8516%2027.0859%2025.2461%2027.1094%2022.6328V22.5703C27.1602%2020.1133%2025.2148%2019.1719%2022.3086%2018.5352Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M5.24219%2013.5664V26.6133H8.75391V23.7578L10.2969%2021.9531L14.2031%2026.6133H18.3867L12.3555%2019.5195L17.4023%2013.5664H13.4531L8.75391%2019.0586V13.5664H5.24219Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_97_2430'%3e%3crect%20width='40'%20height='40'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Estimated read time: Less than a minute
LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces said Thursday that forward NaLyssa Smith is out for the season with a left leg injury, dealing a huge blow to the defending WNBA champion's repeat hopes.
Smith suffered the non-contact injury at the 3:15 mark of the third quarter in Sunday's 88-78 win over the the Toronto Tempo.
Smith has averaged 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds over 37 games this season and was leading the league in field goal percentage at 63.8%.
The loss of Smith will put a lot more on the shoulders of Aces star A'ja Wilson, who is in the mix to win her fifth MVP trophy while averaging 26 points and and two blocks per game this season.
The Aces entered Thursday with a 26-13 record, the third-best mark in the Western Conference behind Minnesota (31-8) and Golden State (27-11).
___
