Chennedy Carter's Growth Mindset With Aces Should Scare the WNBA
When news broke earlier this month that the Las Vegas Aces had signed veteran guard Chennedy Carter, the first thought many women's basketball fans had was that it almost felt unfair for the uber-talented Aces to get one of the most physically gifted and athletic guards in the world.
The second thought many fans had was that Carter does not have a good reputation in terms of her locker room and off-court presence, which signals a risk for a team that has won three championships in the past four seasons and clearly already had a good thing going.
While this is a fair question, one must consider the franchise Carter is joining. If there was ever a head coach who could ensure that Carter stays in line, it's Becky Hammon. Not to mention that A'ja Wilson is arguably the best leader in the league among active players, and has a ton of influence within Las Vegas' locker room.
While it's still too early to tell whether the Carter experiment will work out, the early returns have been positive. Carter cooked during the Aces' preseason win against Japan on April 26, scoring 18 points in 19 minutes played while also looking like her usual explosive self and playing unexpectedly solid defense.
Chennedy Carter tonight 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) April 27, 2026
• 18 points
• 5 rebounds
• 2 assists
• 5/10 FG
• 19 minutes played pic.twitter.com/Ld1K0aTjIq
Chennedy Carter's Mindset After Aces Debut Speaks Volumes
But what might be more telling than Carter's on-court performance is what she said when speaking to the media after the game.
"The biggest thing that I was thinking about was just my opponents. I mean, we have Olympians on our team. We have some of the greatest players and scorers in the world. So it's just being able to play with them, it's honestly an honor," Carter said, per an X post from @dominicjlavoie.
"I look up to [my teammates]. 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," she added.
Chennedy Carter on playing with the Aces, after scoring a team-high 18 points Sunday night against the Japan National Team:
— Dominic Lavoie (@dominicjlavoie) April 27, 2026
"We have Olympians on our team. We have some of the greatest players and scorers in the world. So it's just being able to play with them is honestly an… pic.twitter.com/myJwGtCoqD
It truly does sound like Carter is in a great state of mind and has already found a home with the Aces.
The prospect of Carter without any added off-court baggage is terrifying for the rest of the league. Add that version of Carter to a Las Vegas Aces squad that already arguably has the league's most lethal roster without her, and this team's chances of repeating this season increase considerably.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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