Aces waive Chennedy Carter ahead of midseason deadline
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- Las Vegas Aces waived Chennedy Carter on Tuesday ahead of the WNBA's mid-season cut-down date and signed No. 25 pick Justine Pissott — who had been on a developmental contract with the Indiana Fever — to a rest-of-season deal.
- Carter, the former No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft by Atlanta, has played only 97 games across four franchises, including an indefinite 2021 suspension from the Dream after an alleged locker-room confrontation with Courtney Williams over Carter's attitude.
- Carter opened her Aces tenure scorching — scoring in double figures in her first seven games and averaging 17.5 points on 65.1% shooting (58.8% from three) in May — before missing June games with a leg injury and an undisclosed illness, then barely playing upon her return.
- The Aces have gone 10-3 with the league's fourth-best offensive rating (112.5) since June 1, suggesting Carter's release was about fit and conduct rather than production need.
- The Chicago Sky declined to re-sign Carter after 2024 despite her averaging 17.5 points (14th in the league) and finishing fourth in Most Improved Player voting, citing locker-room concerns and a league-leading four flagrant fouls — including one on Caitlin Clark.
Why it matters: Carter had a league-minimum, unprotected contract specifically designed to let the Aces move on cheaply — and the defending champs pulled the trigger after going 10-3 with a top-four offense even as Carter's production cratered. With Chicago having already walked away from a 17.5-points-per-game scorer over locker-room concerns, Carter's market appears to be capped by character questions, not talent.
