Connecticut Sun’s woes continue as the Eastern Conference side dropped its 17th game of the season on Wednesday. However, in an 86-80 defeat against the Minnesota Lynx, the scoreline was the least of Connecticut’s troubles. That’s because their second-year guard, Saniya Rivers, went down with a serious injury in the second quarter and was wheeled away, leaving fans concerned.

The play occurred with seven minutes remaining in Q2. Rivers drove towards the paint and was in the perfect position to score a layup. However, as she approached the rim, Minnesota’s Nia Coffey hit the Connecticut guard with a hard block, causing her to land awkwardly and lose her shoe.

“Rivers could not put any weight on that [leg]. They unfortunately needed the wheelchair to take her off the floor,” noted an espnW broadcaster.

The highlight play shared by espnW clearly showed Coffey even stepped on Rivers’ shoes during the landing, taking her shoe off, making it even harder for Rivers to keep her balance.

Right after Saniya Rivers’ departure, the Connecticut Sun PR stated that she wouldn’t return to the game and had sprained her left ankle. According to The IX Sports beat reporter Deyscha Smith, Rivers had also suffered a left ankle sprain in the Chicago Sky game last month. Following that injury, Rivers had to sit out one game.

Unfortunately, there’s no update on how severe this injury is, as the Sun’s coach didn’t have any details.

“I don’t have any update yet. She turned her ankle. And she got a hit on her face. But we know she’s very intense. She’s doing everything with lot of speed so I cross my finger that you know it won’t be like something big,” head coach Rachid Meziane said in the post-game press conference.

With Rivers out of the rotation, the Sun’s offensive arsenal was left with little firepower, resulting in a tightrope defeat against a resilient Minnesota Lynx. Nevertheless, the fans were quick to voice thier support for Rivers on social media.

“Prayers Up” for Saniya Rivers After a Crushing Injury in the Minnesota Lynx Game

Back-to-back sprains in the same ankle within two months don’t bode well for Rivers. The fans pinpointed these struggles on social media.

“Hoping Saniya Rivers is okay, wheelchair exits are always scary to see. Will be watching for an update on her condition,” a fan wrote. “Oh no, hope she’s ok. 🙏🏻😞” stated another.

Even from a team perspective, Rivers’ injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Connecticut Sun were already dealing with some high-profile absences in the game: Brittney Griner (left quad), Aneesah Morrow (personal), Hailey Van Lith, and Ashlon Jackson (coach’s decision).

Rivers’ departure in such fashion in front of their home crowd left fans disappointed. However, the fans expressed their gratitude, sending their prayers for Rivers.

“Hate to see this! Prayers up for Saniya!” wrote one fan. “🙏🏽Prayers up!” another chimed in.

Before Rivers left the game, she could only log 9 minutes after coming off the bench. She made good use of those minutes, recording 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block.

One of the fans even noted a nuanced moment where Rivers’ teammates wrapped towels around her after she went down with the injury. “Can y’all stop with the towels? Good lord. You spend more time making sure they are covered than actually helping,” they wrote.

However, this is a regular procedure in the WNBA. While there’s no proper explanation for it, some feel that it is done to keep the privacy of the medical assessment.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see when Saniya Rivers actually comes back is another blow to a team already at the bottom of the standings.