For Friday’s game, the Las Vegas Aces are in a tight spot. With Game 1 and Game 2 losses already under their belt, A’ja Wilson and company need to put in extra effort to knock off the No.1-seeded New York Liberty. But it seems almost impossible now as the Aces have landed in the worst situation of all.

Their defensive anchor, Kiah Stokes, has been announced out for Friday’s game. “Breaking: Kiah Stokes will miss Game 3 vs. the Liberty on Friday with a concussion, the Aces announced,” penned ESPN on X. This is what everyone feared.

In Game 2 against the Liberty, Stokes collided with Jonquel Jones in the third quarter, leading to a “potential concussion” and resulting in her being ruled out for the remainder of the game. After eight minutes of gameplay and contributing three rebounds, Stokes was benched. It was undoubtedly a huge blow for a team already struggling to limit the opposing team’s impressive offense.

Despite her absence, Becky Hammon had hopes of getting her back. With a season-best of 12 rebounds, Stokes had been a significant contributor to the team’s defense. Even in the last game without Stokes, the Aces conceded 44 points in the paint, while the Liberty won 88-84, pushing the series to a 2-0 lead. But now, with those hopes shattered, the Aces’ head coach finds herself in a bind to shore up the defense, already down two games.

Who can fill the void?

It could likely be either Queen Egbo or Megan Gustafson. The Aces’ center, Egbo, has played three games with the Aces since signing the contract. In the 2024 regular season, she averaged 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in 3.6 minutes of gameplay. Gustafson, on the other hand, has appeared in more games and is more likely to step in.

In an average of 11.7 minutes of gameplay, Gustafson had 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds. She’s solid on the defensive end too, with 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks per game this regular season. Well, these are just assumptions—it’s all up to Becky Hammon as she chooses which cards to play. “You have to talk fast, you have to move fast,” Hammon emphasized, acknowledging the team’s lack of execution in defense against the fast-paced Liberty offense, despite their star-studded roster.

Led by three-time MVP A’ja Wilson, who is averaging 22.8 PPG and 9.5 RPG in the playoffs, the team certainly needs to address their defensive struggles. It might be difficult without Stokes, but with the Aces just one step away from elimination, they need to fire back. Will they be able to do so this Friday against the Liberty?