LAS VEGAS, NV — Chennedy Carter is already an x-factor off the Las Vegas Aces bench early in the 2026 season, scoring 32 points in her first two games and erupting for 22 points in a 27 point blowout win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
Signed during training camp, Carter’s scoring and relentless tempo have energized the Aces’ second unit, known for its depth and physicality. Her speed, craftiness, and scoring instincts provide head coach Becky Hammon with another late-game matchup problem.
“I feel like right now she’s doing a great job. I feel it’s game by game and I’m trusting the process,” Carter told Nitecast Media. “Each game, I’m showing a little bit more, and she’s giving more. So I’m trusting her, and whenever it’s there for me, you guys will see it. But right now. I feel like it’s just game by game, getting my legs underneath me, getting back comfortable, getting back to being Chennedy Carter.”
Carter’s path back to prominence has included global stints away from the WNBA spotlight; she says she’s learned about herself and grown since her last league run. That growth, paired with Hammon’s coaching and the championship culture in Las Vegas, appears to be unlocking a freer, more confident version of Carter on the floor — one who can both score in isolation and make plays off the ball in transition.
Hammon is very direct about Carter’s natural gifts while tempering them with structure — especially on the defensive end.
“The athleticism that God gave her… He gave her that. She’s a dynamic guard, she’s super disruptive, and I’m going to try to make her into a defensive maniacal player with some of our disciplines and some of our structure defensively,” Hammon said. “As well as give her some freedom to stir things up because really she’s great at that. I don’t want to clip her wings, just add a little bit of structure and let her go.”
The Aces quickly benefited. In the blowout of the Sparks—a 27-point win featuring Carter’s 22 points—Las Vegas’ bench production and defensive pressure overwhelmed L.A., clinching their first win. Carter’s change of pace and scoring added a punch behind the Aces’ stars and revealed how lethal the team is when rotation players contribute.
If Carter buys into Hammon’s defensive schemes and keeps up her offense, she could become a matchup nightmare—a high-octane scorer who also disrupts on the ball.
Las Vegas now faces two road games against the Connecticut Sun, then a matchup with the Atlanta Dream. The Aces will rely on Carter and the bench to maintain the aggression and chemistry tone set by the starters shown against the Sparks.
The early results for Carter confirm the fit in Las Vegas is simply trust from a championship coach who’s giving her the freedom to attack, and an opportunity to grow defensively while exploiting opponents with speed and scoring. If the first games are any indication, opponents will have a new late-game problem against the Aces.
