The Las Vegas Aces shared somewhat surprising news on Tuesday when they announced that they had waived Chennedy Carter. They also signed Justine Pissot out of the Indiana Fever’s development pool.
Carter was the Aces’ most productive bench player but missed a bunch of games due to injury and illness. She didn’t play well in the Aces’ last two games, recording just four points after putting up 18 against the New York Liberty in the Commissioner’s Cup final.
But there’s probably more to the story than just a few poor on-court performances. In May, Carter lamented being on a “leash” in Las Vegas on social media, which suggested that she wasn’t exactly thrilled with her role and minutes. Her minutes dropped notably after that incident. The only time she played more than 16 minutes was in the Commissioner’s Cup game when Becky Hammon needed an offensive punch to make up for A’ja Wilson’s absence.
After another tumultuous exit, one has to wonder if Carter will get another WNBA opportunity. Becky Hammon is a championship coach, and A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd are championship veterans. If Carter can’t figure out how to conduct herself like a pro in that locker room, she may never learn how to do it.
Carter’s WNBA career has been rocky from the start
Chennedy Carter entered the W as the fourth overall pick in 2020 behind Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Lauren Cox. She played well, averaging 17.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over 16 games.
Things went downhill quickly after that. In 2021, Carter was suspended by the Dream for “conduct detrimental to the team” and subsequently traded to the LA Sparks. Carter got off to a slow start in LA, and the Los Angeles Times reported that she was benched for “poor conduct”. The Sparks waived her in March 2023, and she didn’t play in the league for a year.
She returned to the W in 2024, signing with the Chicago Sky, and led the team in scoring with 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Nevertheless, the front office opted not to re-sign her. Annie Costabile, who was with the Chicago Sun-Times at the time, reported that “According to multiple league sources, players were unhappy with the dynamic created in the locker room last year due to Carter’s behavior, which went unchecked by former coach Teresa Weatherspoon.”
After that, Carter was, once again, out of the league. Signing with the Aces was a great opportunity to show everyone that she had grown and could exist as a part of a healthy, winning culture. While the Aces have made no statement as to why they waived Carter yet, the situation will undoubtedly make other organizations wary.
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