The Las Vegas Aces announced on Thursday that guard Elena Tsineke was waived from the roster. Tsineke, who was initially selected by the Washington Mystics in the 2023 WNBA Draft, later ended up with the Aces before getting waived on Thursday.
Tsineke played her college basketball at South Florida. The 5'7" guard averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals per outing at the college basketball level. Her final season was especially impressive, as Tsineke averaged a career-high 17.9 points per game. As a result, she drew interest ahead of the WNBA Draft.
Tsineke's WNBA career has not gone according to plan up to this point, but that doesn't mean she won't find success at some point down the road. At only 25 years old, all Tsineke needs is an opportunity.
Aces preparing for 2025 season
There is pressure on the Aces this year. Las Vegas earned back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, though, the Aces faltered in the postseason, losing to the New York Liberty in the semifinals.
The Aces made a significant roster change this past offseason, adding Jewell Loyd in a trade that saw them send Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks. Plum had spent her entire career with the organization, and moving on from her signaled a drastic change to the roster.
The good news is that Loyd is a star. Additionally, A'ja Wilson, a three-time MVP, is still on the roster. This Aces team is going to be competitive in 2025, but are they still a legitimate WNBA Finals contender?
The answer to that question remains to be seen. It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone to see the Aces make another deep postseason run. With the Liberty becoming the new team-to-beat in the league, though, nothing is guaranteed.
The Aces want to prove that they can still be the best team in the WNBA. There is pressure on them to perform in 2025. If Las Vegas struggles, a rebuild could be right around the corner.
The Aces will proceed with confidence. Despite a number of teams continuing to improve, Las Vegas still features one of the most talented all-around rosters in the WNBA.
The Aces will have more difficult roster decisions to make as training camp and the preseason begin. The move to waive Tsineke was fairly surprising. Challenging decisions are part of the preseason, however.