Bria Hartley

Hartley sustained the knee injury during a recent practice and is expected to make a full recovery. The 32-year-old guard returned to the WNBA after suffering a torn ACL in July 2022 and playing overseas for Avenida in Spain in 2023-24. Over 38 regular-season games (32 starts) with Connecticut in 2025, she averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 36.2 percent from the field across 22.8 minutes per game. Lindsay Allen, Saniya Rivers and Mamignan Toure are candidates for increased minutes with Hartley sidelined for the remainder of the season.

As expected, Hartley will miss her first game of the season due to a right knee injury. Her next chance to suit up will be Monday against Atlanta. Saniya Rivers, Lindsay Allen and Mamignan Toure are candidates for an uptick in playing time due to Hartley being sidelined.

The right knee injury is a new issue for Hartley, who's in serious jeopardy of missing her first game of the season. Saniya Rivers would be the most likely choice to replace Hartley in the first unit, and Rivers has averaged 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks in 25.8 minutes per game across 23 outings as a starter this season.

Hartley had an awful shooting performance with two turnovers. The 32-year-old veteran exploded for 23 points in a game this past Saturday, but she has four or fewer points in six of the previous seven appearances, while turning it over at least two times in four of the past five contests.

It was just the second 20-point effort of the season for Hartley, who fell two points shy of tying her season high. Saturday also marked her first time scoring in double figures since Aug. 7 in Los Angeles, with Hartley still averaging just 6.4 points, 2.6 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game over her last seven outings.