What Happened to Bria Hartley? Everything to Know WNBA Guard’s Season-Ending Injury

“You see more injuries when you don’t have a chance to recover,” Head coach Stephanie White raised a league-wide issue recently. The WNBA expanded its schedule this season. But in doing so, it overlooked a crucial factor: the well-being of players involved. Grueling stretches of back-to-back road games left athletes with little time to recover, forcing teams into an impossible choice: practice or rest. The toll has been evident, as athletes across teams have fallen prey to injuries. Now, another name has been added to that list. That of veteran guard Bria Hartley.

Bria Hartley’s Season-Ending Meniscus Tear 

The Connecticut Sun guard, Bria Hartley, sustained a right knee meniscus tear during practice last week. As a result, she has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, the franchise announced on August 31, 2025. “Connecticut Sun guard Bria Hartley will miss the remainder of the 2025 season due to a meniscus tear in her right knee injury sustained during team practice. Hartley is expected to make a full recovery. Additional updates will be provided when appropriate,” the official Sun press release stated.

Hartley has a unique relationship with injuries. She has succumbed to season-ending injuries for over three times in the last five years. She suffered a right ACL tear in 2020 while with the Phoenix Mercury, limiting her to just 13 games that season. After a year-long rehabilitation, she returned in 2021 but managed to play only six games for Phoenix. In 2022, while with the Connecticut Sun, she unfortunately tore her left ACL—an injury that came just a week after she had signed a seven-day contract with the team.

“Especially since I’ve had two (ACL tears), I’m probably not as fast as I used to be, but at the same time I think I’ve worked on my pace, changing pace,” Hartley had shared. “Those first couple of months after the ACL, the first thing you can do is catch and shoot. You can’t move the same, but you can catch and shoot, so I think people will see that, even though we haven’t seen me play a lot in the last four years, I’ve definitely been in the gym.” While she tends to her injury, let us take a look at the 32-year-old’s impact in the locker room.

Bria Hartley’s Impact With the Connecticut Sun Before the Injury 

Before the setback, Hartley was enjoying an impressive comeback season with the Connecticut Sun. She hadn’t seen WNBA action since her ACL tear in 2022, until she signed a contract with the Sun just a week into training camp in 2025. Hartley was averaging 8.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game before being sidelined. Not to mention, her three-point shooting efficiency rate was 36.7% in 38 games this season.

The 32-year-old guard also ranked as the Sun’s fourth-highest scorer this season, trailing only Tina Charles, Marina Mabrey, and Leila Lacan. That’s another reason why Hartley’s recent injury comes as a major setback for the roster. Besides, when she coincidentally rejoined the Sun under HC Rachid Meziane, the moment was a boon-in-disguise for the athlete since she had experienced his coaching during her time in the French national team. During the 2019 EuroBasket tournament, the athlete had faced Meziane and his coaching strategies. 

Talking about the HC, Hartley had said earlier this year, “He’s a really smart coach. Just playing with him on the French national team and then seeing what he’s done with the Belgian national team as well with… so, I have faith in him and his ability and what he’s able to do.” Declared out for the third time, will Hartley return to the Sun roster?

What’s Next for Bria Hartley After Another Major Setback 

While the Connecticut Sun declared Bria Hartley out for the remainder of the season, a hope still lingers for the athlete. Though her journey came to an abrupt halt, according to the Sun’s medical team, there are chances for the athlete to make a quick yet complete recovery. This hints at the possibility of her getting reintegrated into the roster.