Chennedy Carter waived by Aces as talented guard's tumultuous WNBA career takes another turn

The Las Vegas Aces waived Chennedy Carter in a stunning move on Tuesday ahead of the WNBA's mid-season cut-down date. The move is the latest setback for the former No. 4 pick, who has struggled to stick in the league despite an abundance of talent. 

The Aces did not provide any additional information or explanation on their decision to waive Carter. The team does not play again until Thursday against the Portland Fire, and does not have any scheduled media availability until then, so it will be a few days until we hear from coach Becky Hammon or any players. 

In a corresponding move, the defending champion Aces signed Justine Pissott to a rest-of-season contract. Pissott, the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, had been on a developmental contract with the Indiana Fever. 

Carter's tumultuous WNBA career continues

After a stellar college career at Texas A&M, Carter was selected fourth by the Atlanta Dream in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Since then, she has played just 97 games for four different franchises due to injuries and questions about her conduct, both on the court and in the locker room. 

An ankle injury prevented her from winning Rookie of the Year in 2020 -- she finished second behind Crystal Dangerfield, largely because she played five fewer games in the COVID-shortened 22-game season. And early in her sophomore campaign, an elbow injury sidelined her for a month. 

Shortly after she returned from the elbow ailment, she played just five minutes and did not return to the bench after halftime of a game, ironically, against the Aces. Courtney Williams had approached Carter on the bench during the game and told her to improve her attitude, according to The IX Sports. In the locker room after the game, Carter reportedly tried to fight Williams and, though no altercation occurred, the Dream suspended Carter indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team." 

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Carter never played for the Dream again and was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks ahead of the 2022 season. She never found a rhythm in Los Angeles and was benched for "poor conduct," according to the Los Angeles Times. The Sparks waived her after the season and she went unsigned in 2023. 

The Chicago Sky gave Carter a chance in 2024, and she averaged 17.5 points -- 14th in the league -- with 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists on 48.7% shooting, finishing fourth in Most Improved Player voting. She committed a league-leading four flagrant fouls that season, however, including an infamous one on Caitlin Clark, and the Sky opted not to re-sign her. The organization had concerns about her behavior in the locker room and that her presence would negatively affect their ability to attract players, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Carter went unsigned in 2025 and spent the summer playing in Mexico. 

Ahead of this season, the Aces invited Carter to training camp, and she made the final roster. She had an unprotected, league-minimum contract, however, which protected the Aces in the event that they wanted to move on -- which, they ultimately decided to do. 

Carter struggled after strong start to season

Early on, the Aces' decision to bet on Carter's talent looked wise. She scored in double figures in her first seven games with the team and looked unstoppable playing in a spaced-out system alongside the likes of A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd.

In May, Carter averaged 17.5 points on 65.1% shooting, including 58.8% from 3-point range, was the team's second-leading scorer behind Wilson, led the league in bench scoring and was the clear favorite for Sixth Player of the Year. Toward the end of the month, however, everything began to fall apart. 

Carter got into it with fans on social media and said she was on a "leash" after a loss to the Dallas Wings, and she missed the first three games in June due to a leg injury. She barely played upon her return, then immediately missed another five games with an undisclosed illness. Now, after reaching double figures just once in June and July, Carter is gone. 

May

8

20.3

17.5

65.1%

58.8%

June/July

5

11.6

3.8

35.3%

25%

The Aces are 10-3 with a 112.5 offensive rating (fourth in the league) since June 1, so they have not struggled to score since Carter's production declined. And while there may be times when they miss her ability to get into the paint, they decided they were better off without her around for yet-to-be-disclosed reasons. 

Potential landing spots for Carter

There's a real possibility that Carter has played her last game in the WNBA, but you would have said that after she went unsigned in 2025, too. If sports have taught us anything, it's that teams are willing to take risks for elite talent, and Carter is one of the quickest guards alive and an elite scorer when healthy. 

With that in mind, here are a few teams that could use Carter's potent bench scoring. 

Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx are last in the league in bench scoring at 15.1 points per game and don't have a single reserve averaging more than 4.4 points. In particular, they lack backcourt depth behind Olivia Miles, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, all of whom start. Cheryl Reeve is one of the best coaches in league history, and if anyone can get the best out of Carter, it would be her. 

Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks haven't made the playoffs since 2020, the longest postseason drought in franchise history and the longest active postseason drought in the league. They went all-in this offseason to try to change that, but are 8-11 and stuck in 11th place, largely due to Kelsey Plum's injury. Carter doesn't have a great history with the franchise, but if they want a short-term offensive boost, she could provide it. 

Golden State Valkyries

The Valkyries are in third place thanks to an elite defense, but struggle on offense. Most notably, they are last in points in the paint per game (29.4) and 11th in free-throw rate (0.283). Few players can get to the rim like Carter, who shot 77.5% in the restricted area with the Aces, and would thrive in the Valkyries' five-out system.