What Happened to Bilal Coulibaly?
Bilal Coulibaly, the Washington Wizards’ young guard/forward, suffered a strained right oblique during the third quarter of the team’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on December 2, 2025, and has been ruled out, with expectations he’ll miss multiple weeks. The Night MVP (@TheNightMVP) shared on X that Bilal Coulibaly will miss multiple weeks due to an oblique injury.
He grabbed his side after taking contact on a jumper, tried to play through the pain for several minutes, and was eventually subbed out as the Wizards fell further behind, which is very on‑brand for how this season has gone for them: bad record, and now their best perimeter defender is on the shelf again.
The team later confirmed via its official PR that Coulibaly sustained a strained right oblique against Philadelphia and that the injury will be treated “conservatively,” meaning no rush back, no hero timeline, just careful rehab and re‑evaluation. Wizards PR (@WizPRStats) shared on X that Washington Wizards guard/forward Bilal Coulibaly sustained a strained right oblique against the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 2.
Reporting from The Athletic and other outlets says he’s likely to be sidelined for multiple weeks, with typical recovery ranges for oblique strains running anywhere from two to eight weeks, depending on severity, which in NBA terms can easily mean missing most of December and possibly some of January. For a Wizards team already dealing with injuries to Corey Kispert, Tre Johnson, and Alex Sarr, losing Coulibaly basically rips out the one guy they consistently trust to chase the other team’s best wing all over the floor.
It’s especially frustrating because this isn’t his first setback of the season: he already missed time with a torn ligament in his right thumb suffered playing for France at EuroBasket, which required surgery and delayed his season debut, and he’s also dealt with a left calf contusion that cost him multiple games.
Despite that, when he has been on the court, he’s looked like the exact kind of player Wizards fans want to see in a rebuild: a long, disruptive wing who guards up, fills passing lanes, and chips in around 8–9 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists a night as a full‑time starter. One beat writer summed it up by pointing out that Washington’s defense plummets whenever he’s out; you can see it in the numbers and just watching the game, fewer deflections, softer close‑outs, less chaos on the perimeter.
From a fan or fantasy‑manager perspective, the realistic move now is to assume Bilal Coulibaly will be out at least a couple of weeks, maybe the better part of a month, and watch for three key signals that he’s getting close: upgraded status on the official NBA injury report, hints from Wizards PR or Josh Robbins‑type reporters that he’s doing more in practice, and minutes ramp‑up chatter from coach Brian Keefe.
Disclaimer
This Bilal Coulibaly injury article is for general information and fan discussion only. It is not medical, betting, or professional advice. Player status and timelines can change quickly, so always verify with official team reports, league injury updates, or trusted news outlets before making decisions based on this information.
