Candace Parker’s Take on Chennedy Carter Points to Upgrade for Aces
Chennedy Carter has been in and out of the WNBA for years now. Even after a career season with the Chicago Sky in 2024 that saw her average 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals, Carter didn’t land a contract for the 2025 season. Locker room issues were most commonly cited as the reason, which is something that has followed Carter throughout different stops in the W. In 2021, she was suspended by the Atlanta Dream for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
She seems to have come a long way since then, winning a sportsmanship award in China and signing with an Aces team that has very high standards for who gets to join their star-studded championship roster—a signing that Candace Parker, who won a title with the Aces in 2023, thinks will be very impactful.
“I think this is going to be one of the best signings and the Aces got way better because after one year away from the WNBA, Chennedy Carter has signed a training camp deal with the Aces,” Parker said on the April 22 episode of Post Moves, her podcast with Fever star Aliyah Boston.
The Aces getting “way better” with just one signing is defenitely a scary thought for the rest of the league. After all, everyone is chasing Las Vegas this season.
Chennedy Carter could be pushed into a big role right away
A Las Vegas Aces team that retained all of the most important players from its championship team is already scary enough. But it’s not just that. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus only played two regular-season games last season because she was working her way back from pregnancy. She will be available more consistently this season.
That’s a really strong rotation. If Carter clicks with the Aces (and makes the roster, of course. She only signed a training camp contract, after all), it would give them yet another weapon off the bench, another shot creator, and another player who can give defenses a headache any given night.
Carter might have to do that sooner than Becky Hammon may have planned. Dana Evans is out indefinitely with a left leg injury that also caused her to miss the Unrivaled playoffs with the Phantom.
Evans was a critical contributor off the bench due to her speed and ability to get downhill. Carter offers a very similar skillset.
Las Vegas could be the perfect environment for Chennedy Carter
Signing with the Aces could be the best thing for Carter’s WNBA career. There is no better environment for her to figure things out and prove that she can add to a locker room instead of being viewed as a problem from the outside looking in.
A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Jewell Loyd are championship veterans and leaders. Becky Hammon is one of the best coaches in the league, and someone who can relate to players on a different level because of the time she spent playing in the W herself.
Carter hasn’t played in an environment like that yet. The Sky were rebuilding when she played in Chicago. The 2022 Los Angeles Sparks changed coaches mid-season, Liz Cambage left the team in July, and they missed the playoffs. Her stint with the Dream also was anything but smooth, as previously mentioned.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.