Washington Wizards rookie Bilal Coulibaly will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a right wrist fracture, the team announced on Monday.
Coulibaly sustained the injury on Saturday while falling in a road loss to the Chicago Bulls. The team initially deemed the injury a contusion, but testing revealed a fracture, which isn’t expected to require surgery, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
He recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes before the injury on Saturday.
Coulibaly didn’t play on Sunday in a loss to the Boston Celtics and was seen wearing a brace on the bench. He will be sidelined for the final 14 games of the season.
Official: Bilal Coulibaly will miss the remainder of the regular season after being diagnosed with a right wrist fracture.
The injury, which will be treated conservatively, was suffered when Coulibaly fell during the game on March 16 at Chicago.
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) March 18, 2024
Coulibaly finishes the season averaging 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 34.6% shooting from 3-point range in 63 games. He became the third-youngest player to appear in a game in franchise history on Oct. 25, 2023 (19 years, 91 days).
The seventh pick is one of eight rookies to average at least eight points, four rebounds and 1.5 assists per game this season. He is one of four first-year players with at least 40 steals and 40 blocked shots, joining Chet Holmgren, Ausar Thompson and Victor Wembanyama.
Coulibaly was among 11 rookies selected to compete in the NBA Rising Stars game. He has drawn high praise for his maturity and professionalism since joining the Wizards and appears to be a franchise cornerstone moving forward.
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