The Las Vegas Aces made a case for the most explosive WNBA free agency signing of 2026 on Wednesday with the announcement that standout guard Chennedy Carter is making her WNBA return and joining the three-time league champions.
Carter may be polarizing for some fans, but she’s also a walking highlight reel who will provide a new dimension to the Aces’ backcourt and could even contend for a starting spot.
Carter recorded averages of 17.5 points (No. 12 in the WNBA), 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 48.7 percent shooting during her sole season with the Chicago Sky in 2024 — all career-highs.
In June 2024, Carter committed a controversial, away-from-the-ball shoulder check on Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. The move against the then-rookie was later upgraded to a flagrant-1 foul and led to mass outrage and debate regarding Clark’s treatment and the physicality in the WNBA in general.
As a restricted free agent that offseason, Carter did not receive a qualifying offer from the Sky. She became an unrestricted free agent and was not signed by any other team.
A report from the Chicago Sun-Times claimed that multiple league sources said “players were unhappy with the dynamic created in the locker room last year due to Carter’s behavior,” and that “there was concern within the team regarding how re-signing Carter would impact the Sky’s chances of landing other free agents.”
Without an offer in the WNBA, Carter spent 2024-25 in China, where she led her overseas league in scoring.
Aces coach Becky Hammon saw Carter’s skills up close on multiple occasions in 2024. Carter averaged 26 points over the Sky’s three matchups against the Aces in 2024. She even led the Sky to an upset win over the Aces on Aug. 25 2024, putting up 25 points and three assists with no turnovers.
Guard Dana Evans, who re-signed with the Aces this week, was on that 2024 Sky team with Carter and will now share a locker room with her once again.
Hammon also likely spoke to former teammate and close friend Teresa Weatherspoon about Carter, as Weatherspoon was the Sky’s coach in 2024. Weatherspoon was fired after one season.
Nicknamed “Hollywood,” Carter was the No. 4 overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft out of Texas A&M. Injuries were a hurdle for her before off-the-court issues were.
Although Carter’s deal was described by the Aces as a “training camp contract,” that term is simply jargon to indicate that a player has been obtained for a year at the league minimum, non-guaranteed. Carter is just as likely to make the team as Kierstan Bell and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who re-signed with the Aces on training camp contracts this month.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Callie__Fin on X.