By nature of their role, rookies don't usually have an easy first year in the WNBA. There's a lot to adjust to, and being great in college doesn't necessarily translate to being great in the league (just ask every rookie who was waived this season). But the Aces appear to have a star in the making on their hands, despite the team's back-to-back losses: Aaliyah Nye, the Alabama graduate Last Vegas drafted as the No. 13 overall pick this year.
The Aces came into this season optimistic but in disarray. The team lost a lot of key players during the offseason and didn't necessarily make the best decisions to account for that; they're also still operating without a GM after declining to renew Natalie Williams' contract in October 2024. The team's 97-89 loss to the Sparks comes on the heels of their 95-68 loss to the Golden State Valkyries.
But despite those losses, Nye has continued to improve in major — and impactful — ways. The rookie hit a personal best 13 points in 26 minutes against the Valkyries, an improvement over the performance in her first three regular season games.
Aaliyah Nye had a strong collegiate career
The Aces had an idea of what they could expect from Nye when they drafted her as their first team selection (Nye remains the only rookie the team still has on the roster). She hit 1,260 of her collegiate career points for the school (her total is 1,739), added 31 blocks in three seasons, and racked up 136 steals.
Nye was also on the receiving end of high praise from coach Becky Hammon during training camp, something that convinced many Aces fans (and correctly so) that she would be on the team for the long haul. Like other teams in the league, the Aces had a bit of a cap space problem ahead of the official beginning of the season, and there were worries Nye might not make the final cut. Clearly, Hammon saw something in Nye that kept her on the team, and it seems that Nye might be beginning to show the rest of us just what that was.
The Aces need to make changes to succeed
The Aces still have an uphill battle this season; the team has a lot of changes they need to make if they are intent on returning to championship-level play. While Nye's efforts will certainly help, the Aces need to solve a handful of problems (like not playing with a true center) to meet that goal.