Aubrey Plaza probably wasn’t expecting to leave the 2024 WNBA All-Star weekend with a serious knee injury, but that’s exactly what happened.
The 40-year-old actress was shown during Saturday’s ABC broadcast of the WNBA All-Star game on crutches with a huge ice wrap on her right knee. She was seated courtside next to WNBA legends Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, when play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco revealed that Plaza had torn her ACL.
According to Ruocco, the “Parks and Recreation” star suffered the injury while playing a game of “knockout” at the Phoenix Mercury practice facility. Just a day earlier, Plaza had been seen—crutch-free—at the 3-point contest and Skills Challenge, enjoying the festivities.
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This incident marks the second time Plaza has torn her ACL playing basketball.
Ironically, she had discussed her first ACL tear during an appearance on Rapinoe and Bird’s podcast, “A Touch More,” just the day before her latest injury. She recounted how she first injured her knee while playing in a women’s recreational league in Los Angeles. Plaza humorously described how she disguised herself to play on the same team as her sister Natalie, thinking no one would recognize her.
“I was like, ‘No one will know it’s me. It’s great,’” she said. “And then, in the middle of the game, I went up for a shot and tore my ACL on the court in a wig. That’s kind of like the worst-case scenario because I was trying to go undercover, and I just snapped my knee in half, basically.”
Despite the rough déjà vu of re-injuring her ACL, Plaza still seemed to enjoy herself during Saturday’s game. She watched Team WNBA, which featured stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Arike Ogunbowale, and Jonquel Jones, take on and defeat the U.S. Olympic team with a score of 117-109. Team USA boasted its own array of talent, including A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu.
Plaza’s unfortunate injury did not dampen the spirit of the All-Star weekend, which was a celebration of women’s basketball and its incredible talent. The event was filled with exciting competitions and showcased the camaraderie and sportsmanship of the players, all of which Plaza got to witness firsthand, despite her injury.
As Plaza recovers, fans hope to see her back in action soon, whether it be courtside at another game or back on the big screen. Her enthusiasm for the sport and good humor in the face of setbacks continue to endear her to audiences everywhere.
