Chennedy Carter Signing Signals Calculated Risk for Becky Hammon’s Aces
The Las Vegas Aces have a good thing going.
Las Vegas is fresh off its third WNBA championship in the last four years after sweeping the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 WNBA Finals. They have the best player in the world (and arguably of all-time) in A'ja Wilson, who re-signed and is in the middle of her prime, and while some believed that the Aces would lose several other key players in free agency this offseason, they've brought Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd back. That's a great foundation for Becky Hammon to work with.
But in signing all of these star players to lucrative deals, the Aces were left without a lot of the bench depth that carried them at several points last season. And they elected to address that by signing veteran point guard Chennedy Carter to a training camp contract on April 15.
There's no question that Carter is one of the most athletic and explosive guards in all of women's basketball. And her last time in the WNBA was a resounding success in terms of her individual stats, as he averaged 17.5 points per game on 48.7% shooting from the field with the Chicago Sky in 2024.
Yet, Carter didn't play in the WNBA in 2025, instead competing in Mexico's women's basketball league. And the reason why is the same reason why this signing is a risk for Las Vegas.
Chennedy Carter today 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) August 25, 2024
• 25 points
• 5 rebounds
pic.twitter.com/MfkgnA6D5D
Chennedy Carter's Off-Court WNBA History Points to Potential Problems
Carter's WNBA history has been ripe with off-court turmoil. She was drafted by the Atlanta Dream with the No. 4 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft but was suspended by Atlanta during the 2021 season after she stayed in the locker room for the second half of a game because teammate Courtney Williams called her out for not cheering on her teammates. Carter reportedly approached Williams and asked to fight her after the game.
She was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2022 but was benched midway through the season for poor conduct, according to Los Angeles Times writer Thuc Ngi Nguyen.
Carter didn't play in the WNBA in 2023, then joined the Chicago Sky in 2024. And there have been numerous reports about that team dealing with locker room issues, although it's unclear how much of a factor Carter was.
𝑯𝑶𝑳𝑳𝒀𝑾𝑶𝑶𝑫 😎
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) April 15, 2026
Welcome to Las Vegas, @ChennedyCarter! pic.twitter.com/Ev8JkWxNII
The good news for Las Vegas is that Carter was likely signed to a team-friendly contract—a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, per reports—and the team can cut ties with her at any time. Still, the question is whether a player of Chennedy Carter’s talent is worth the potential turmoil she might bring.
But if there's any pair of leaders who bring out a player's best and quell any personal drama, it's A'ja Wilson and Becky Hammon.
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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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