Aubrey Plaza is greeted by Caitlin Clark & a WNBA star plays her nurse after ACL tear
It was an eventful weekend for Delaware’s Aubrey Plaza, who sat courtside beside basketball legend Sue Bird at the WNBA All-Star Game, while also shaking hands with superstar Caitlin Clark.
The deadpan queen from Wilmington stole the show at the All-Star Game on Saturday at Footprint Center in Phoenix, as game announcers Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo discussed the injury that the “Agatha All Along” star sustained over the weekend that caused her to be on crutches.
“I feel for Aubrey Plaza. She came to this weekend with a healthy knee. She’s leaving with a torn ACL, thanks to a hardy game of Knockout at the [Phoenix] Mercury practice facility,” Ruocco said.
The Arizona Republic said Plaza didn’t have crutches during the skills challenge on Friday. But Saturday she was injured at the Mercury’s new practice facility after playing Knockout.
How did Aubrey Plaza tear her ACL playing basketball?
In Knockout, players line up with the first two holding basketballs. The goal is to make a basket before the player behind you scores. If the player behind scores first, you are “knocked out,” or eliminated from the game.
It’s unclear how Plaza tore her ACL; Knockout doesn’t involve physical contact with others.
“I did not know it was possible to tear your ACL playing Knockout,” the Hall of Famer Lobo said.
Sue Bird plays nurse for Aubrey Plaza
The camera stayed on Plaza as Sue Bird, a four-time champion who ESPN ranked as the eighth-best WNBA player of all time, instantly became a courtside nurse for Plaza and assisted her with a bag of ice.
Ruocco eventually began chuckling as Bird helped Plaza with the ice.
While Bird helped Plaza, U.S. Women’s National Team legend Megan Rapinoe, who is dating Bird, reached over from her seat and showed Plaza something on her phone that caused Plaza to crack a smile.
The Seatle Storm’s official X account (formerly Twitter) tweeted support for Bird, a former Storm player, for assisting Plaza: “The GOAT lending a helping hand to Aubrey Plaza.”
Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese defeat Team USA
Besides tearing her ACL, Plaza made other memories during the historic weekend, including shaking the hand of Caitlin Clark during the second half of the All-Star game on Saturday.
The WNBA put on a show as Team WNBA upset Team USA 117-109. Team WNBA’s Arike Ogunbowale led the game with 34 points.
The rookie Clark, who was part of a big controversy after being left off Team USA, added four points; and she led the all-star game with 10 assists. Fellow rookie Angel Reese chipped in with 12 points and led the game with 11 rebounds.
Team USA’s top scorer was Breanna Stewart with 31 points and 10 rebounds, along with Aja Wilson’s 22 points and six rebounds, and Diana Taurasi with 14 points and five assists.
Aubrey Plaza is a big basketball fan
In June, Plaza appeared in a Team USA commercial that announced the 12 players who made national women’s basketball team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Team USA’s first Olympic game this summer is against Japan at 3 p.m. EST on Monday, July 29.
It was a good fit for Plaza, who is a big basketball fan.
“The White Lotus” star appeared in the 2016 basketball documentary “The Pistol Shrimps,” based on a women’s recreational league she joined in Los Angeles comprising actresses, musicians, writers, comedians and moms.
“I played for my church league in Delaware. Shout-out to Delaware.”
