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Aces forfeit game vs. Mystics that was canceled due to travel delay

Garrett Ellwood / National Basketball Association / Getty

NEW YORK (AP) The WNBA has ruled that Las Vegas will forfeit its game against Washington that was canceled Friday night when the Aces players decided not to play because of concerns about their health and safety after 26 hours of travel.

The league announced its decision Tuesday in a one-sentence email.

There was little precedent for the decision because the WNBA has never had a game canceled before. There have been a handful of instances over the past few decades in major sports in which teams have been forced to forfeit.

The Aces needed nearly 26 hours to travel to Washington from Las Vegas after flight delays and cancellations Friday. By the time the team reached its hotel it was 3:45 p.m. - about four hours before the scheduled tip. The Aces spoke by phone with the union Friday and called the league to say they did not want to play.

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