Durable Minnesota Lynx continue to set the pace as league-wide injuries mount

The GIST: Step aside crab fishermen — the most difficult job in the world isn’t on the high seas; it’s in WNBA arenas across the country, where team medical staff are dealing with a barrage of injuries. Here’s the latest from the league’s injury report.

❤️‍🩹 Injury epidemic continues across the league: The Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham is just the latest W hooper to suffer a season-ending knee injury. Since our last update a mere three weeks ago, there’s been a whopping 38 new injuries added to The Next Hoops’ tracker, including everything from minor ankle tweaks to season-ending ACL tears.

• With just over three weeks to go in the regular season, this year’s 202 reported injuries are nearing the 203 recorded in the entirety of the 2024 season. Whether it’s scheduling struggles or something else entirely, the trend is concerning.

🏆 The playoff push continues: And yet, the show goes on. The league-leading, durable, and already playoff-bound Minnesota Lynx will be hoping to see the return of superstar Napheesa Collier (who missed her fifth straight game with an ankle injury last night), while NY Liberty icon Breanna Stewart is hoping to return before her birthday on August 27th. A gift for all of us.

• Expect their return to be as dominant as Chicago Sky standout Angel Reese’s — after missing all but two games since the All-Star break while dealing with a back injury, Reese recorded 19 points and seven rebounds last night. This Barbie is resilient.