Aerial Powers might be out for the 2020 WNBA season due to her hamstring injury

Washington Mystics General Manager and Head Coach Mike Thibault told reporters Thursday that Aerial Powers is “probably not coming back” this season for the Mystics, according to Tyler Bynum of NBC Sports. Powers has been sidelined since she injured her hamstring on Aug. 7 against the New York Liberty.

“She really wanted to try and come back and finish the last couple of weeks, but I think for her long-term health, there’s no point in risking that,” Head Coach Thibault said. “I think she needs to start the healing process right now and she’s got some structural issues that, not damage but structural issues that we can get to work on by getting her started with somebody right now.”

Not having Powers is a big loss to an already struggling Mystics team. Coming into the season without Tina Charles, Elena Delle Donne, LaToya Sanders, and Natasha Cloud due to personal reasons and COVID-19 precautions is the reality that the team faced and surprisingly handled very well at the beginning of the season.

The Mystics’ three consecutive wins shocked many but would go on to be short-lived. The Mystics have struggled for weeks and winning has become hard for the team which now only has three players who were on the team last year. Playing with so many roster changes this season has proven to be a hard task to overcome.

As of Thursday, they are in 9th place in league standings and a 4-7 record. If she doesn’t suit up again this season, she will end with career-best averages of 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 assists per game.

The team is expected to make an official announcement over the next 24 hours.