Candace Parker heading to the Las Vegas Aces might not change the look of the 2023 WNBA season so much as cement it.
After all, Las Vegas already had several of its pieces from the 2022 championship squad returning, including league MVP A’ja Wilson, Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum.
The addition of Parker was met with plenty of reactions, including an apparently speechless A’ja Wilson.
Snajajsodmfmdoskanexirmsnwkandickrlfowaknwziendoeke yea.— A'ja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) January 28, 2023
Snajajsodmfmdoskanexirmsnwkandickrlfowaknwziendoeke yea.
Chelsea Gray, meanwhile, commented on Parker’s post, writing “My dawggg!! Let’s gettt it!” The two were teammates on the Los Angeles Sparks.
Adding Parker only bolsters the Aces’ defense, as the Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. She’s also great offensively, bringing shot creation and playmaking abilities that the Aces sometimes lacked – though sparingly – during the 2022 season.
Of course, the addition of Parker brings with it the mathematical problem that is cap space. Realistically, the Aces cannot pay Parker her maximum salary unless they were to waive one of their current players. The addition of Parker means that the team likely will not be adding any more players in the offseason, as she rounds out the lineup.
There were times last season when questions surrounded the Aces’ bench and the abilities of their depth. While the addition of Parker is a good one, these questions won’t necessarily go away.
During the playoffs last year, just eight players saw 20+ minutes of action for Las Vegas and while adding Parker means distributing that out a bit, it’s likely that the Aces will once again see its stars taking on the bulk of the workload.