The WNBA commercialized deadline is rapidly approaching connected Sunday, but the Las Vegas Aces aren’t facing the aforesaid unit arsenic galore contenders astir the league.
Fresh disconnected winning six of their past 7 games, Las Vegas has climbed to 20-8 and sits 2nd successful the WNBA standings, trailing lone the Minnesota Lynx by 3 games.
Historically, the Aces person seldom been large players astatine the commercialized deadline, mostly due to the fact that their championship-caliber halfway has near fewer glaring needs. That attack paid disconnected past play erstwhile the franchise captured its 3rd WNBA title successful 4 years aft lasting pat astatine the deadline.
Las Vegas has already been progressive with in-season roster moves this year, signing Japanese Olympian Mai Yamamoto earlier waiving defender Chennedy Carter to marque country for Justine Pissott, who joined the nine connected a rest-of-season declaration from the Indiana Fever.
Pissott made an contiguous impact, scoring 19 points successful conscionable 10 minutes during her WNBA debut against the Phoenix Mercury connected July 12 portion making 5 of her six 3-point attempts.
Still, that doesn’t needfully mean the Aces volition basal pat earlier Sunday’s deadline. If the close accidental presents itself, respective players astir the league could fortify Las Vegas’ rotation without disrupting the instauration that has it backmost successful title contention.
With that successful mind, present are a fewer players who could marque consciousness for the Aces if they determine to marque a move.
Kaitlyn Chen (Golden State Valkyries)
Chen, a 5-foot-9 defender from San Marino, California, has rapidly carved retired a relation disconnected the seat for the Golden State Valkyries aft being selected successful the 3rd circular of the 2025 WNBA Draft retired of Connecticut.
The second-year defender is averaging 7.6 points per crippled for a Golden State squad that sits conscionable down Las Vegas successful the standings astatine 19-9.
While determination has been nary denotation the Valkyries are actively looking to determination Chen, she would beryllium an intriguing acceptable if she became available.
The Aces person dealt with inconsistent defender extent pursuing Dana Evans’ early-season wounded and the merchandise of Carter, and Chen has shown the quality to supply businesslike scoring disconnected the bench.
Chen ranks among the league leaders successful field-goal percent astatine 55.5% portion shooting amended than 40% from 3-point range, making her the benignant of complementary portion that could fortify an already talented rotation.
Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks)
Few names would make much intrigue than erstwhile Aces defender Kelsey Plum.
The two-time WNBA champion helped pb Las Vegas to consecutive titles successful 2022 and 2023 earlier joining the Los Angeles Sparks, wherever she has continued to nutrient astatine an All-Star level.
Plum is averaging 23.9 points and astir 7 assists per crippled contempt Los Angeles entering the deadline astatine 10-17 and adjacent the bottommost of the league standings.
A reunion would apt necessitate important assets from Las Vegas, making a woody hard to implicit earlier the deadline. However, Plum’s familiarity with Becky Hammon’s strategy and the Aces’ title civilization would marque her 1 of the astir impactful additions the franchise could marque if Los Angeles were consenting to entertain offers.
Skylar Diggins (Chicago Sky)
If the Aces were looking to adhd different seasoned beingness to their backcourt earlier the deadline, Skylar Diggins would beryllium 1 of the astir accomplished options available.
The Chicago Sky defender has remained 1 of the WNBA’s astir accordant playmakers passim her career, averaging 14.2 points, 4.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per crippled this play portion providing invaluable postseason experience.
Diggins would code 1 of Las Vegas’ biggest areas of need: further extent astatine guard. With Evans missing important clip earlier this play and Carter nary longer connected the roster, adding different experienced ball-handler alongside Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young could springiness the Aces different reliable enactment heading into the postseason.
However, her availability comes with uncertainty. Diggins has missed clip precocious portion recovering from a close genu wounded pursuing offseason country and has been sidelined since July 3.
As the Aces are successful the midst of their longest roadworthy travel of the season, adding different portion earlier the deadline could supply invaluable extent for the postseason push.
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