At training camp last month, A’ja Wilson spoke about the potential impact that Chennedy Carter could have on the Las Vegas Aces.
“I was an opponent against her when she fried us, so it’s pretty cool to have her in the locker room now. So she won’t be frying us,” Wilson said. “She’s actually gonna be frying other people with our jersey on, which I’m very appreciative of.”
In the Aces’ opening night game — a 99-66 loss to the Phoenix Mercury — Carter began to show how she could impact the squad, albeit in a losing effort. She tallied 10 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals, converting on 5 of 8 field goal attempts.
But on Sunday evening, Carter began to show signs that she just might be one of the WNBA’s best offseason steals.
In the Aces’ 105-78 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, she exploded for a team-high 22 points on 9 of 13 field goals in 20 minutes off the bench, getting downhill and scoring in a variety of ways.
Carter recorded a career year in the WNBA in 2024, averaging 17.5 points on 48.7% shooting with the Chicago Sky. But, while it was never clearly reported exactly what went wrong, Carter did not sign a deal with any WNBA team in 2025.
This past offseason, she joined the defending champions and immediately spoke about the gratitude she felt joining Las Vegas.
“We have Olympians on our team,” Carter said after a preseason game last month. “We have some of the greatest players and scorers in the world. So, just being able to play with them — it’s honestly an honor. I look up to them. They have embraced me, and they’ve made me feel comfortable, and they’re helping me grow and elevate, and I trust that they’ll help me take my game to the next level, and I’m going to help them grow as well. So I’m really happy here.”
Carter wasn’t the only reason why the Aces came out victorious on Sunday; Jackie Young tallied 20 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds, A’ja Wilson posted 19 points, 3 assists, and 2 blocks, and Chelsea Gray finished with 16 points and 5 assists.
The Aces, who looked severely outmatched on opening night against the Mercury, were clicking. They outscored the Sparks by 28 points in Carter’s 22 minutes, the depth of their roster on full display.
The Aces have won championships in three of the last four seasons. They’ll look to secure a fourth this year. And, it’s still very early, but it very well looks like Carter could be the next X-factor in the dynasty.
