On two separate occasions at the Las Vegas Aces’ headquarters Monday night, the team’s front office erupted in cheers that were so loud you could hear them from a floor level below their war room.

The Aces didn’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, but the team still potentially bolstered the roster through its second- and third-rounders.

Aces general manager Nikki Fargas said the team’s approach to the draft was focused on an awareness of the WNBA’s changing landscape with a consideration of the positionless style of basketball that Aces coach Becky Hammon likes to play.

With the No. 29 pick, the Aces selected 6-foot-4 forward Janiah Barker of Tennessee. Barker spent the previous season at UCLA, where she was named the 2025 Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year. Before that, she played two seasons at Texas A&M.

In her four years, Barker averaged 11.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field.

“Janiah Barker is a pro’s pro. She’s a player that can do multiple things. When you look at her ability to score from the three, she’s a physical player. She can play inside, very versatile. I like that,” said Fargas, a fellow former Vol who also coached at UCLA. “(Barker) also understands that you’ve got to be able to defend and rebound to be successful in this league.

“But more importantly, I think she’ll be a great complement to our interior game, while also giving us a perimeter presence.”

Jordan Obi of Kentucky was drafted with the No. 44 pick. Before transferring into the SEC as a graduate student, the Hartford, Connecticut, native spent three years at Penn. She missed the 2024-25 season because of a lower leg injury.

Across her collegiate career, Obi averaged 12.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg on 44.5 percent shooting from the field.

Fargas praised Obi’s motor and effort, calling her a “high-motor player who gives maximum effort every night and sets the tone with her energy and hustle.”

That said, nobody’s spot on the team is safe.

“We’re bringing in some toughness to add to the toughness that we already have,” Fargas said. “Training camp is going to be very competitive.”

That battles to make the cut will begin as training camps open around the league on April 19. Under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, both rookies have a better chance of making the roster than ever before.

In addition to requiring teams to carry 12 players, the league added two new spots for development players that won’t impact the salary cap.

“I think this is an opportunity to look at some of the young talent and give them a chance,” Fargas said. “Sometimes you just need a little bit more time to develop into a pro or there may not be enough roster spots available, but you were right there…

“So I think that development spot is a really good thing for our league.”

If the rookies make a roster, then they’ll also benefit from the highest salaries in the league’s history. The average first-year salary for first-round picks last year was about $75,000. That number increased to $386,000 this year.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Callie__Fin on X.