Las Vegas Aces Without Key Contributor vs. New York Liberty in Game 3

The Las Vegas Aces will be without Kiah Stokes for Game 3 against the New York Liberty on Friday night.

Las Vegas Aces center Kiah Stokes / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Aces will be shorthanded for Friday night's Game 3 against the New York Liberty. Kiah Stokes has been ruled out for the contest with a concussion. The team announced the news on Thursday.

Stokes suffered a head injury in Game 2, leaving the contest early and not returning. She finished the games with three rebounds in eight minutes on the floor. New York defeated Las Vegas 88-84 to take a 2-0 series lead.

Breaking: Kiah Stokes will miss Game 3 vs. the Liberty on Friday with a concussion, the Aces announced. pic.twitter.com/T1GzWk4GO2

— espnW (@espnW) October 3, 2024

Although the Aces return to Las Vegas for Game 3 of the season, it's do-or-die for the two-time defending champions. Las Vegas would have to defeat New York in three consecutive games to return to the WNBA Finals and defend their crown.

That task got a little more difficult with Stokes being ruled out. Stokes, a 10-year veteran in the league, played in 39 games during the regular season, making 29 starts. She averaged 1.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per contest.

Stokes has yet to score a point in the postseason but has been a solid rebounder for the Aces during the playoffs. She collected 15 boards across two games in Las Vegas' 2-0 sweep of the Seattle Storm in the opening round. Stokes has grabbed four rebounds in two games against New York.

How much will Stokes' absence hurt the Aces on Friday night? Will the Liberty complete a sweep and advance to the WNBA Finals?

Tipoff for the pivotal Game 3 matchup is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.