Chennedy Carter's WNBA Future in Question After Being Waived by Aces
The Las Vegas Aces signed developmental player Justine Pissott from the Indiana Fever to a standard contract, and in a subsequent move waived guard Chennedy Carter to make room.
Pissott is an intriguing prospect as a potential stretch four given her height (6-foot-3) and shooting ability (she hit 42.2% of her threes her final season at Vanderbilt), but it is the release of Carter that will make headlines.
That's because Carter's talent is undeniable, which makes her inability to stick with a WNBA franchise even more unfortunate.
It was reasonable to surmise that Carter's stint with the Aces was her last chance in the WNBA. Las Vegas made a calculated risk in signing her, but it was a low-cost, high-reward move.
It appeared to be paying off from a production standpoint, as Carter quickly was thrust into 6th Player of the Year conversations and continued to prove her penchant for scoring has few peers. Carter averaged 12.2 points in just 16.9 minutes for the Aces.
However, there were signs things weren't so great behind the scenes. Carter publicly bemoaned her playing time after a win over the Atlanta Dream in May and complained about being on a "leash" on social media following a loss to the Dallas Wings later that month.
Carter then missed extended time with a leg injury and what was listed as an illness before eventually making her return for the Aces. But she was notably unproductive in the team's last two contests (4 and 0 points) before ultimately being waived.
Carter May Have Run Out of Chances
Carter's talent has not been enough to overcome her troubles. She made waves for hip-checking Caitlin Clark during the latter's rookie season, but Carter's reputation preceded that incident.
She was suspended by the Dream in 2021 for conduct detrimental to the team and also benched by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2022 for disciplinary reasons before being waived. She wound up with the Chicago Sky in 2024 and had a strong statistical season but they chose not to bring her back after she seemingly contributed to a tumultuous locker room environment.
Carter then spent 2025 playing outside of the WNBA before being given a chance with Las Vegas. But if even the Aces, who have championship pedigree and accomplished leaders in head coach Becky Hammon and superstar A'ja Wilson, didn't think it was worth keeping her around, then it is hard to imagine yet another franchise is going to take the risk.
All in all, it's a shame Carter hasn't been able to get out of her own way in order to capitalize on her undeniable talent.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!
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