Las Vegas Aces, Becky Hammon enter WNBA training camp with veteran roster

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The veteran-heavy Aces will face some tough decisions with 17 players on their roster as preparation for the WNBA season begins with the start of training camp Sunday.

That number must be whittled down to a maximum of 12 and announced by May 15, two days before the Aces open the regular season at the defending champion New York Liberty. For salary cap purposes, many teams will carry the league minimum of 11 players.

Although limited roster space is a leaguewide issue, it was top of mind for coach Becky Hammon as she prepared for her fourth season at the helm of the Aces.

“I’ve let a lot of talent walk out the door,” she told the Review-Journal in December. “It’s like, ‘Dang. If I could have two or three years to develop this person, they could probably become a very special player. And instead, you know, they’re (gone).”

A look at the Aces’ options says that sentiment will likely ring just as true for Hammon this year.

Spots filling up

The Aces welcome back three-time MVP center A’ja Wilson, six-time All-Star guard Chelsea Gray and three-time All-Star guard Jackie Young — and that’s just the start of their veteran depth.

The Aces made headlines when they acquired six-time All-Star guard Jewell Loyd, the 2023 WNBA scoring champion, from the Seattle Storm in the trade that sent Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, but they also dealt their No. 16 and 22 picks in this year’s draft to the Chicago Sky for guard Dana Evans.

Kiah Stokes and 2024 draftee Elizabeth Kitley seem to be guaranteed frontcourt pieces, while center Megan Gustafson could also return.

Veteran guard Tiffany Mitchell, a former collegiate teammate of Wilson’s, is all but a lock to make the roster.

Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, a forward entering her 11th season, is also nearly guaranteed a spot even though she’s pregnant and won’t play until the second half of the season. That is evidenced by the pay cut she took — the league minimum after being the Atlanta Dream’s highest-paid player last year — likely in exchange for the security of knowing she’ll have insurance and other benefits during her time away from the court.

Kierstan Bell has a guaranteed contract, and sources told the Review-Journal a buyout or mutual separation is unlikely this season. Even though the forward averaged only 2.8 points in 7.2 minutes per game last year, the Aces exercising her fourth-year option has left both parties limited.

The Atlanta Dream would be a natural destination for Bell, as new coach Karl Smesko coached her at Florida Gulf Coast. But acquiring her would come with a price tag that it seems the Dream and other teams in the league are not interested in paying, given that she’ll hit free agency after this season.

That means 2025 draftees Aaliyah Nye and Harmoni Turner and training camp contract signees Queen Egbo, Crystal Bradford, Jordyn Jenkins and Deja Kelly are essentially all battling for one or two roster spots.

Aces president Nikki Fargas characterized this issue for the WNBA before the draft.

“I think we have players (in the league) who are … I’m gonna call them seasoned, because they’re playing, you know, 12, 13, 14 years,” she said. “So there’s not a lot of movement on the back end. There’s 36 players coming in (the WNBA) every year, but there’s not 36 leaving every year.”

Hammon calls for change

That issue was illustrated Thursday when guard Elena Tsineke was waived by the Aces before training camp even began. Sources said a serious foot injury, likely sustained while playing in Poland, was discovered in her physical assessments.

In the WNBA, there are limited circumstances where teams can afford to wait for young players they like and invest in their recovery.

The Aces made that happen with Kitley and her ACL injury last year, selecting her in the second round but keeping her unsigned while allowing her to use the team’s facilities and trainers as she worked her way back. The Aces signed her in February, and she enters this season as the only member of the 2024 draft group still with the team.

Before losing rookie Kate Martin to the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft, Hammon emphasized that the WNBA needs more options for teams to keep working with young players even if they’re not able to snag a spot on the opening day roster or consistent minutes thereafter.

“Typically, the W drafts based on, ‘Can you help me win right now?’ The NBA drafts based on ceiling, based on potential,” Hammon said. “They can take a 19-year-old, and because of the G League and how they have their (collective bargaining agreement) set up, they can develop talent. Here, it’s really hard to keep and develop talent.”

The league is adding two more expansion teams in 2026 in Portland and Toronto. While that should mean 24 more jobs, Hammon doesn’t think it’s enough,

“If that’s increasing roster size, if that’s maybe going back to an injured reserve, I think keeping and developing talent has to be a huge priority for the W moving forward and the players,” she said. “They’ve got a new CBA coming up. And I hope that’s something that both sides (prioritize). Because to me, the lifeline of your league is that development piece.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.

Aces training camp roster

No., Name, Position, Height

0 Jackie Young, G, 6-0

1 Kierstan Bell, F, 6-1

2 Deja Kelly, G, 5-8

3 Tiffany Mitchell, G, 5-9

4 Queen Egbo, F/C, 6-4

8 Crystal Bradford, F, 6-0

11 Dana Evans, G, 5-6

12 Chelsea Gray, G, 5-11

13 Aaliyah Nye, G/F, 6-0