If it’s just one game, you play on a hurt ankle.
If it’s the start of a long season at the beginning of a long career, you don’t.
How much to gut it out and push through sub-optimal conditions is contingent on how long the term of the goal. Stepping back to plan, plot, get setup, get optimized, get healthy. These are needed if you’re going for the long haul. Stupid if you’re in it for a sprint.
I’ve got to remind myself of this frequently. My goals have gotten much longer in life, but my play-through-the-ankle-sprain approach is deeply embedded. I’m trying to break the tendency so I don’t break the ankle.