New Las Vegas Aces signing Chennedy Carter has picked up right where she left off in the WNBA in 2024.

After a solid showcase in the Aces' first preseason game against Japan, where she scored a team-high 18 points on 50% shooting, the 27-year-old showed gratitude for receiving the opportunity to play on a star-studded lineup in the postgame conference.

"We have Olympians on our team. We have some of the greatest players and scorers in the world. So it's just being able to play with them is honestly an honor. I look up to them." Carter said, per an April 26 X update from Las Vegas Review-Journal's Dominic Lavoie.

"They have embraced me, and they've made me feel comfortable, and they're helping me grow and elevate, and I trust that they'll help me take my game to the next level, and I'm going to help them grow as well. So I'm really happy here..." Carter added.

Alongside an effective scoring game, Carter also fulfilled her playmaking duties with five boards, two assists, and one block to her name, leading the Aces' rotation while A'ja Wilson remains out of the lineup.

In just her first time on court with the Aces, Carter hugely addressed the team's pressing needs.

Carter has remained productive on the court since her 2020 rookie season. She has shown consistency ever since her rookie year in 2020, where she averaged 17.44 ppg in 16 games.

However, her on-court prowess is often overshadowed by her antics off the court. Her last team, the Chicago Sky, also did not renew her contract for this reason.

A report by Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times claimed that Chicago decided not to keep Carter due to concerns about her locker room behavior and how her presence could impact their ability to attract free agents.

The Aces can provide Carter redemption. And head coach Becky Hammon is right by her side to help her adjust to the team's dynamics.

Becky Hammon Aims for Chennedy Carter to Adjust to a Difficult Role

A coach of Becky Hammon’s stature only assigns a player a task after understanding their capabilities. So, it should actually be flattering for Carter to know that Hammon believes she can handle a more “exhaustive role.”

“I think for myself and her, we’re going to stay on her for just defense,” Hammon said. “She’s still learning our system- our dos and don’ts, how we want to play, and when we are persistent... and what I’m asking her to do is kind of an exhaustive role in the sense of like picking up full court and then pushing tempo offensively as well.

“You have to be in really phenomenal shape for what I’m asking her to do. So, I’ll continue to talk to her and communicate what I want from her. But she’s been great, very responsive, and it’s nice to have speed, ” the Aces head coach added further.

Carter is currently on a training camp contract. But if first impressions were to be considered, she is very well on her way to receiving a standard WNBA contract.

Do you believe this will be the year Chennedy Carter gets redemption?

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Utsav Gupta