The Las Vegas Aces made a surprising roster change on Tuesday, announcing that the team has waived offseason signing Chennedy Carter, while signing former Indiana development player Justine Pissott.
Carter had been averaging 12.2 points per game for the Aces off the bench, while playing in 13 of Las Vegas’s 21 games in the 2026 regular season thus far. Her planned comeback in Vegas started strong, with coach Becky Hammon praising her scoring ability early in the season.
Chennedy Carter Moves on to 5th WNBA Franchise in 5 Seasons
However, the 27-year-old had seen her minutes dwindle in recent weeks. She missed seven of the Aces’ 12 games played in June. Those absences were reportedly due to illness and a lingering lower leg injury.
Las Vegas’s abrupt parting with Carter sees the guard looking for her fifth WNBA team in just five active seasons. She's served on teams in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, and now Las Vegas. Carter has also found success overseas, sitting out the 2023 and 2025 WNBA seasons in favor of contracts elsewhere.
The Aces will look to replace her speed on the court and scoring ability quickly. They travel to Portland on Thursday to take on the Fire. That game is scheduled for 10 PM ET on League Pass.
A recent Las Vegas Aces vs. Dallas Wings on-court clash spilled over onto social media this weekend.
Aces guard Chennedy Carter clapped back at critics on Threads after Las Vegas lost to the Wings on the road, 87-95. The training camp signee defended her performance while sparking a new rivalry with Wings rookie, Azzi Fudd.
The physical matchup on the court set the stage for the online drama.
Fudd led all scorers with 22 points, shooting an efficient 9-of-15 from the field to power the Wings to victory. The game also marked her first start of the 2026 WNBA season.
Meanwhile, Carter provided a solid 14 points for the Las Vegas Aces off the bench. Still, fans quickly began comparing the two guards online — and the social media chatter soon caught WNBA veteran's attention.
Rook got them shook? Chennedy complaining she’s on a leash? Aces locker room drama already?😭 pic.twitter.com/lSMVfH5L0o
— Meli 🏹 (@LiMeli0) May 29, 2026
Carter Responds to Azzi Fudd Comparisons on Threads
Carter used her platform to defend her performance and highlight her perceived edge.
She pointed out a specific play where she crossed up Fudd, claiming she "made her ankle touch the ground." Carter also referenced her limited minutes, telling followers to watch out when her "leash is off."
Statistically, Carter has excelled during her brief stint in Vegas, averaging 19.1 points per game off the bench this season.
While she's been at the center of locker room controversies before, the former Chicago Sky star has stayed relatively quiet since returning to the league. She's become a valuable asset for coach Becky Hammon, who praised her ability to "cook" opponents on the court.
But Fudd, who has yet to address Carter's comments, is finding her rhythm too.
The guard just logged consecutive 20-point games for Dallas, placing her firmly back into the Rookie of the Year conversation.
Of course, this week's online activity has made the next Aces vs. Wings matchup on June 15th a must-watch.
The Las Vegas Aces delivered a dominant 98-69 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena. The win was powered by an electric performance from Chennedy Carter, who scored 27 points off the bench, and a historic double-double from 2025 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson.
How Carter and the Aces Bench Stunned the Connecticut Sun
Carter was the game’s standout performer, tallying points via a hyper-efficient 13-of-16 shooting (81.3%) from the field. She also added 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the Aces vs. Sun blowout. That effort, coupled with her impressive display against the LA Sparks, should silence any doubts surrounding coach Becky Hammon's masterplan. In April, Las Vegas signed the veteran guard to a training camp contract. The acquisition marked her WNBA return after a one-year stint abroad.
"I've grown, matured, and I took time to myself to find out where I need to be," Carter said of her comeback.
Hammon emphasized the Aces' need for a productive, downhill player — a role Carter consistently delivers on despite past off-court noise.
"I think she's in a great frame of mind," Hammon said. "She just got done cooking people overseas. So, we want her to come over here and cook people over here."
A'ja Wilson Records 121st Career Double-Double in Aces' Win
While Carter led the scoring, Wilson anchored the interior. Wilson finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in just 22 minutes of play. The performance marked Wilson’s 121st career double-double, moving her further up the WNBA's all-time leaderboard.
She dominated the third quarter specifically, scoring 14 points to help Las Vegas outscore Connecticut 30-16.
Overall, the Aces' bench defined the win with a massive 48-point contribution. Their defense also stifled the Sun, holding them to a dismal 33% shooting from the field.
The win propels the Aces to a 2-1 record as they continue their pursuit of a historic three-peat. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun fell to 0-3 amid shooting struggles and the franchise’s upcoming relocation to Houston.
Aces vs. Sun Rematch: Where to Watch WNBA Matchup
Fans won't have to wait long for a rematch, though. The two teams face off again at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, May 15th, at 7:30 PM ET on WNBA League Pass.
The Aces made history on Wednesday, signing four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson to the largest supermax deal on record— worth some $5 million over three years.
Las Vegas is reportedly set to allot Wilson 20% of its $7 million salary cap over the contract’s lifetime, with future flexibility should the cap soften.
“A’ja is truly one of one, who has led this franchise to where it is today,” Aces president and GM Nikki Fargas said in a team statement.
“Not only has she catapulted into the history books and surpassed almost every record in existence, but she does so with the utmost confidence, authenticity and grace. We look forward to continuing to see her thrive in an Aces uniform.”
“YKWTFGO,” Wilson said in a team statement, quoting rapper Stunna Girl as as she gears up to lead the reigning WNBA champion into 2026.
Las Vegas Aces Build Roster Around Re-Signed Star A'ja Wilson
Las Vegas has officially secured its veteran core, after re-signing guards Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd.
The Aces can now focus on roster support, welcoming back 2025 champs NaLyssa Smith, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, Kierstan Bell, and Dana Evans while bringing on veteran free agents Stephanie Talbot and Brianna Turner.
The Aces also signed former Chicago guard Chennedy Carter to a training camp contract, after reported locker room issues saw the Sky fail to re-sign the 27-year-old in 2025.
Chennedy Carter is back in the US after signing a training camp contract with the Aces, giving Las Vegas another experienced backcourt option off the bench ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.
The Aces announced the move Wednesday, adding the Texas A&M product to a roster built around A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd. For Las Vegas, the deal adds scoring depth without a long-term commitment.
Carter did not play in the WNBA in 2025. Instead, she spent last season in Mexico, where she stayed active while awaiting another opportunity in the US. Signing with Las Vegas now gives her a chance to compete for a spot on the reigning league champion's lineup.
Entering the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, Carter quickly made an impact.
The athletic playmaler averaged 17.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists pregame in her professional debut year, landing her on the WNBA All-Rookie Team. She went on to average 14.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists across 84 career games, with stints in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Chennedy Carter Joins Aces After Controversial WNBA Past
Carter's recent WNBA track record showcases both her effectiveness and history of producing controversial headlines.
She found herself at the center of several incidents in Atlanta, including reportedly challenging then-teammate Courtney Williams to a fight after a 2021 matchup. Carter later faced trouble in LA, before getting benched halfway through the Sparks' 2022 season for "poor conduct," according to Los Angeles Times.
After landing in Chicago, Carter finished 2024 as the Sky's leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points on 48.7% shooting after. However, she also fell under media scrutiny after committing an away-from-the-ball foul against star rookie Caitlin Clark in an early-June game against the Indiana Fever. At the time, officials ruled the contact a common foul. But the following day, the WNBA upgraded the offense to a flagrant-1 violation, though declined to issue Carter a fine.
Chicago opted not to re-sign the seasoned point guard ahead of the 2025 season, with multiple reports citing locker room issues.
Now, with Las Vegas hunting core support ahead of yet another title push, Carter's training camp contract gives Aces coach Becky Hammon a low-risk option with proven offensive power. And for Carter, the move represents a chance to earn her way back into the WNBA — while also working to repair her reputation in the league.
The WNBA free agency carousel started spinning this week, with teams evaluating rosters and coring athletes to either retain talent or trade players for a return.
Thus far, cored players include Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, and Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams.
Squads employ single-use coring on WNBA stars
Each of the WNBA's teams can core one unrestricted free agent on their roster, ensuring them exclusive rights to that cored athlete. Cored players receive an offer for a one-year, supermax salary contract, along with the option to negotiate different terms.
Cored athletes are unable to directly sign with another franchise, but they can be part of a trade offer by their coring team.
New York cored Stewart after she expressed interest in remaining with her 2024 WNBA Championship-winning squad. Sabally, on the other hand, will likely be part of a sign-and-trade deal after telling media late last week that she is looking to leave Dallas in 2025.
Plum's situation with the Aces is less clear-cut: The two-time WNBA champion could re-sign with her team, though Las Vegas could be exploring opportunities to cash in should she want to compete elsewhere.
Other offers spark WNBA free agent negotiations
In addition to coring, WNBA teams have also begun sending qualifying offers to certain restricted free agents, allowing them to initiate negotiations with those players.
Most notably, despite making Monday offers to three players — guard Dana Evans, forward Michaela Onyenwere, and forward Nikolina Milić — Chicago has yet to extend a qualifying offer to the Sky's 2024 points-leader Chennedy Carter.
Ultimately, while negotiations kick off next week, WNBA contracts cannot be finalized until free agency revs up in February, meaning more shuffling is on deck as teams gear up for the longest and most competitive roster-building season in recent memory.
The Indiana Fever got their second win of the season on Saturday, topping the Chicago Sky 71-70 in Indianapolis — but it didn't come without controversy.
In the third quarter, Chicago guard Chennedy Carter committed an away-from-the ball foul on Caitlin Clark that saw Clark tumbling to the ground before an inbound pass. During the game, the officials ruled the contact a common foul and did not review the play.
The following day, the WNBA upgraded the foul to a flagrant-1 violation upon further review. The change in ruling allots Carter one tally in an accrual system that counts towards a future suspension. (Should it have been upgraded during the game, Clark would have been awarded one additional free throw.) The organization determined that Carter will not receive a fine.
Interviewed during the game, Clark called called Carter's actions "not a basketball play."
"I wasn't expecting [the foul]," Clark told reporters in the postgame press conference. "But it's just like, respond, calm down and let your play do the talking, it is what it is. It's a physical game, go make the free throw and then execute on offense. I feel like that's what we did."
Earlier last week, Clark expressed her frustrations over what she views is a double standard when it comes to receiving contact from opponents.
"I feel like I’m just at the point where you accept it and don’t retaliate. Just let them hit you, be what it is, don’t let it get inside your head and know it’s coming," she said. "I think at this point I know I’m going to take a couple of hard shots a game and that’s what it is. I’m trying not to let it bother me and just stay in the game and stay in what’s important because usually it’s the second person that gets caught if you retaliate."
After Saturday's win, Fever coach Christie Sides took to social media to demand the WNBA take action, calling the officiating "unacceptable."
"When will the consistent complaints be heard?!? Something has to be done!" she wrote.
Carter, meanwhile, would not address the foul postgame, telling reporters she would not be answering "any Caitlin Clark questions." However, she later spoke out against Clark on social media, tweeting "beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table."
In response to the scuffle, Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon released a statement on Monday morning saying that she had discussed the incident with her player and that Carter — along with the rest of the team — will learn from the situation.
"As a team, we will grow together and continue to work hard to display strong leadership and set a positive example for our competitors, fans, and partners," Weatherspoon concluded.
Chennedy Carter isn’t done with the WNBA.
The 24-year-old guard is waiting for her next WNBA opportunity, one she doesn’t plan to waste, she told Andscape’s Sean Hurd. Carter was released by the Sparks ahead of the 2023 season.
“I love basketball. I love to play. I’m passionate about it. My time is coming soon,” she said. “Chennedy Carter is not finished.”
The No. 4 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, Carter started her career in Atlanta, where she scored a franchise-record 18 points in her Dream debut. She went on to set other franchise rookie records that season, from scoring 35 points in a single game to scoring 25-plus points in consecutive games. When she’s at her best, she can be among the best in the game.
“She’s a phenomenal talent. I think everyone understands that and sees that,” Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Andscape. “From a basketball standpoint, I don’t think we’ve seen a player like her in the league when she’s been able to play. You just think of the crazy potential that she has.”
Yet Carter has had a rocky start to her career.
She was suspended in July 2021 following a locker-room confrontation with then-teammate Courtney Williams. She did not play again in 2021 and then was traded to the Sparks.
In Los Angeles, Carter averaged just 16.4 minutes per game in 2022. She missed four games toward the end of the season due to what interim coach Fred Williams called a “coach’s decision.”
This offseason saw Carter lead the top Turkish basketball league in scoring. She also believes the time in Turkey gave her a better handle on other aspects of her game, which boosted her confidence — and, she hopes, her WNBA prospects.
“I’m pretty much in control of whenever I play. I’m in control of that,” Carter said. “I just want to find the best situation for me. I’m a talented player and I want to be utilized the right way. … I’m ready to go.”
The Los Angeles Sparks will miss the WNBA playoffs for the second straight season after falling to the Connecticut Sun on Thursday night.
The loss came in the penultimate game of a tumultuous season, and the postgame comments surrounding Chennedy Carter underscored the tension surrounding the Sparks.
Carter had missed the Sparks’ previous four games due to a “coach’s decision,” interim coach Fred Williams said. The guard returned to the lineup Thursday after what Williams had what he described as a change of heart, but her return did not prevent the Sparks (13-22) from slipping out of the postseason race.
After the loss, Carter was asked about what contributed to Williams’ decision to put her on the court.
“I think that’s a conversation for after the season,” she said after a pause. “So, no comment.”
The Sparks fired head coach and general manager Derek Fisher in June, and then-assistant Fred Williams took over as interim head coach.
In July, Liz Cambage left Los Angeles, agreeing to a contract divorce with the team following reports of locker room turmoil.
Cambage joined the Sparks via a $170,000, one-year deal ahead of the 2022 season. The move to acquire the Australian star came after a controversial trade that sent Erica Wheeler and the team’s 2022 second-round pick and 2023 first-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for Carter.
While some members of the Sparks’ leadership team opposed the trade for Carter, Fisher “convinced them to go for it,” The Athletic reported. Carter had played just 11 games with the Dream during the 2021 season, with the team suspending the star guard following a locker-room confrontation.
In Los Angeles, Carter has averaged 15 minutes per game, taking the court for 21 minutes Thursday after being held out of the team’s previous four matchups. Ahead of the game, Williams cited a conversation he had with Carter in his decision to put her on the floor.
“There are certain things that her and I talked about at shootaround that we both came to a comprise on and so it’s time to move on,” he said. “I felt that she’s a player who has shown the last few games to support her teammates and everyone so we will get her out there and see what she can do.”
After the game, while Carter declined to comment on Williams’ decision-making process, her teammate Brittney Sykes had some thoughts on the matter. Sykes shared her takeaways while sitting next to Carter in the postgame press conference.
“I’m very proud of (Chennedy Carter) and the adversity that she’s been through this season,” Sykes told reporters. “She’s a great player, so let’s just leave it that. There is no secret. There is no nothing. That is between coach and that’s between (Chennedy).”
In Williams’ postgame press conference, the coach also declined to give details of his conversation with Carter.
“For me, it’s important for that because those are personal things that Chennedy Carter and I talked about that savors her to continue on her career and so I protect her on that end and probably you’ll never know,” he said. “But all I know is she was out there playing basketball today and having fun.”
Without their 2023 first-round pick after the trade for Carter, the Sparks will look to regroup and rebrand following a season marked by disorder and drama.
Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike, Kristi Toliver, Jordin Canada, Lexie Brown and Sykes all enter the offseason as unrestricted free agents, adding intrigue to Los Angeles’ rebuild.
TORRANCE, Calif. — With a mischievous grin on her face, new Los Angeles Sparks point guard Chennedy Carter pulled up a chair among the media and prepared to mess with her teammates Te’a Cooper and Arella Guirantes.
Called on to ask a question, Carter got down to business.
“How you doin’? My name is Hollywood, Hollywood Carter,” Carter introduced herself with the straightest face she could muster. “What are you guys looking most forward to about this season?”
The question was a softball, but it wasn’t meant to be hard-hitting. Carter was having fun, and her lightheartedness was contagious, eliciting laughter from Cooper and Guirantes. And when Carter took her place at the podium in the following Q&A session, Cooper razzed her back.
Coming off a disappointing 12-20 season, in which they missed the playoffs for just the third time in the past 22 seasons and the first time since 2011, the Sparks could understandably feel extra pressure. The expectations are even higher this season after the team landed superstar Liz Cambage from the Las Vegas Aces in free agency and added Carter, Katie Lou Samuelson and Jordin Canada to the mix. Four of the team’s players — Nneka Ogwumike, Cambage, Kristie Toliver and Chiney Ogwumike — have combined for 15 WNBA All-Star Game selections. The roster has won a total of six WNBA championships and features two first overall draft picks, two second overall selections and seven players taken in the top four spots of their respective drafts. The Sparks, too, boast six combined career All-Defensive First Team selections.
And yet, despite all the talent and accompanying expectations, the vibe among players and head coach/general manager Derek Fisher at media day on Wednesday was light. The Sparks know what’s at stake this summer, but they’re taking a levelheaded approach.
“It’s time for us to show more so than talk and tell,” Fisher said. “We hear noise from the outside, we’ll continue to hear more of it, but we’re really just going to focus on who we are and becoming the best version of ourselves. We believe that with this group, if we can get anywhere close to the potential that the group holds, the results will take care of themselves.”
Fisher emphasized patience when it comes to reacting to the results of a team dependent on several newcomers.
“It’s not easy to just put 12 players together and just go out there and win every night at the professional level or at any level,” said Fisher, who played 18 seasons in the NBA before moving into coaching and taking over the Sparks job in 2019.
“We have to be realistic about some of the time that it will take to find the rhythm and the timing for how we can create success with this version of our team. With all that said, we expect a lot from ourselves. We have to be open to being so fully present in each moment that we’re not holding ourselves to some arbitrary expectation. It’s really about what we’re doing right now to get better … If it takes us a little bit more time, so be it.”
Through the first two weeks of training camp, the Sparks have tried to keep things loose, influenced in part by two new goofballs on the team, Carter and Cambage. Cooper, a third-year guard, has known Carter since their days rooming together at Team USA trials.
“She just played the whole time,” Cooper said. “We just laughed all night long. She’s still the same jokester.”
A Hollywood Euro Step 🎬@ChennedyCarter | #GoSparks pic.twitter.com/FW5IvHLduM
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) April 19, 2022
“Chennedy’s a kid,” Nneka Ogwumike added. “She’s a kid, and she brings that energy. Sometimes it’s great to have that type of energy, especially when you have certain returners that were holding really big minutes last year through the challenges that we experienced. … Her nickname is ‘Hollywood,’ which is so funny because everyone’s asking me if she’s from here and I’m like ‘No, she’s not.’ That’s just the lightness that she brings.”
Four-time WNBA All-Star and 2018 scoring champion Cambage also displayed her proclivity for play during media day. She joked that Brittney Sykes should focus on dunking in a game (the defensive specialist regularly blocks the 6-foot-8 Cambage’s shot in practice), superstitiously refused to disclose any of her pinky promises that have yet to materialize and dropped the occasional curse word before apologizing each time.
Another key figure keeping everyone light is the team’s head coach, whom Sykes described as “a funny dude on the low.”
“If you get him to yourself on the side, he’s got some jokes,” the 2021 WNBA All-Defensive First Teamer said of Fisher. “He’s actually got some jokes in his back pocket.”
Jokes aside, Cambage, like her coach, preached patience.
“The most important thing, at the start of this season, is that we’re focusing on our chemistry and getting it together,” she said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. We’re not going to be the team tomorrow. It’s going to take time. Just as long as we got the chemistry right and we’re vibing at the end of the season, that’s all that’s important.”
Despite a realistic attitude, Cambage herself expects huge success from her new team this season.
“Crowd’s gonna be lit. Building’s gonna be lit. Women’s basketball is going to be lit. It’s going to be the most wild summer the WNBA’s ever seen. That’s how I think this summer’s going to go,” the 30-year-old center declared. “And we’re going to have a ring at the end of it.”
Joshua Fischman is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering Angel City FC and the Los Angeles Sparks. He has covered basketball for Vantage Sports and Hoops Rumors and served as co-host of “On the NBA Beat” podcast. Joshua received his master’s in Sports Media from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Follow him on Twitter @JJTheJuggernaut.