Washington Mystics goalie Ariel Atkins was taken off the field Tuesday night at the Entertainment & Sports Arena after suffering what looked like a serious ankle injury.
Atkins, just before halftime of their game against the Seattle Storm, collapsed on the court in the middle of the lane after rolling her left ankle. The match quickly came to a halt when the coaching staff and her teammates came to help. They put several towels over her ankle and leg, then took her off the pitch and straight into the locker room.
Details of the injury are not yet known, although the Mystics ruled it out at the break with a sprained left ankle.
Minutes before falling, Atkins set the Mystics all-time record for 3-pointers made by draining his 309th career bucket from behind the arc.
Atkins left the game with five points, three assists and two steals in 11 minutes. Atkins, 26, entered the game averaging 12.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game this season, her sixth with the Mystics.
Atkins’ injury is the last the Mystics have suffered in recent days.
Mystics veteran Elena Delle Donne re-injured her left ankle in the second quarter of their loss to the Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon. Delle Donne landed on DeWanna Bonner’s foot as she tried to deny a shot and rolled her left ankle hard. She quickly left the pitch to go to the locker room and was kicked out of the game.
Delle Donne had also just returned from an ankle injury. She was also named one of 12 reserves for the All-Star Game this weekend, which she will now miss.
The WNBA announced Tuesday that Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard will replace Delle Donne in the All-Star Game this weekend.
Howard, 23, averaged 18.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season in Atlanta. The All-Star Game is scheduled for Saturday in Las Vegas.