On two separate occasions at the Las Vegas Aces\u2019 headquarters Monday night, the team\u2019s front office erupted in cheers that were so loud you could hear them from a floor level below their war room.<\/p>\n
The Aces didn\u2019t have a first-round pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, but the team still potentially bolstered the roster through its second- and third-rounders.<\/p>\n
Aces general manager Nikki Fargas said the team\u2019s approach to the draft was focused on an awareness of the WNBA\u2019s changing landscape with a consideration of the positionless style of basketball that Aces coach Becky Hammon likes to play.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In her four years, Barker averaged 11.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cJaniah Barker is a pro\u2019s pro. She\u2019s a player that can do multiple things. When you look at her ability to score from the three, she\u2019s a physical player. She can play inside, very versatile. I like that,\u201d said Fargas, a fellow former Vol who also coached at UCLA. \u201c(Barker) also understands that you\u2019ve got to be able to defend and rebound to be successful in this league.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut more importantly, I think she\u2019ll be a great complement to our interior game, while also giving us a perimeter presence.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Across her collegiate career, Obi averaged 12.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg on 44.5 percent shooting from the field.<\/p>\n
Fargas praised Obi\u2019s motor and effort, calling her a \u201chigh-motor player who gives maximum effort every night and sets the tone with her energy and hustle.\u201d <\/p>\n
That said, nobody\u2019s spot on the team is safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re bringing in some toughness to add to the toughness that we already have,\u201d Fargas said. \u201cTraining camp is going to be very competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n
That battles to make the cut will begin as training camps open around the league on April 19. Under the WNBA\u2019s new collective bargaining agreement, both rookies have a better chance of making the roster than ever before.<\/p>\n
In addition to requiring teams to carry 12 players, the league added two new spots for development players that won\u2019t impact the salary cap.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is an opportunity to look at some of the young talent and give them a chance,\u201d Fargas said. \u201cSometimes 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\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I think that development spot is a really good thing for our league.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the rookies make a roster, then they\u2019ll also benefit from the highest salaries in the league\u2019s history. The average first-year salary for first-round picks last year was about $75,000. That number increased to $386,000 this year.<\/p>\n